BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will open-up 2020 when they play host to New Orleans at the Montagne Center on Thursday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CT)  
 
The Cardinals (6-5, 2-0 Southland) come into the matchup on a four-game win streak. Lamar is coming off a break from action where their last contest came as a win over Northwestern State in the conference home-opener on Dec. 21. The Cardinals were led by redshirt senior Amber Vidal who tallied 18 points in the 61-58 victory over the Demons.
 
The Privateers (4-7, 0-2 Southland) are coming in after defeating North Dakota on Dec. 28, 79-73. New Orleans is led by senior Rehema Franklin who leads the team with 14.4 points per game and is the reigning SLC Player of the Week after putting up a career-high 33 against North Dakota.
 
This will mark the 40^th  meeting between the programs on the hardwood, with the Cardinals leading the series 23-16 with the Cardinals not dropping a contest to the Privateers since the 2001-02 where defeated Lamar, 83-71.
 
BACK TO THE GRIND

• The Cardinals will open-up 2020 with a home contest against New Orleans on Jan. 2 before going on a two-game road stand against Abilene Christian and Nicholls.
• Lamar is coming off their winter break. The Cardinals have not seen the court since their last contest back on Dec. 21 when they hosted Northwestern State.

 
RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME

• The 61-58 decision over the Demons of Northwestern State helped pushed the win streak to four games as Lamar heads into 2020 with a 2-0 conference record.
• Redshirt senior Amber Vidal drew nine fouls on the night and went 4-for-7 from the line to add to her total of 18 points to help Lamar defeat the Demons in their conference home-opener.
• Junior Jadyn Pimentel recorded four steals on the night to push her season total to 37. She moved into 20^th in the nation in steals, while ranking even higher at 7^th place in steals per game with 3.7
• Senior Briana Laidler pulled down 11 rebounds to push her season total to 85. She moved into second in conference in rebounds per game with 7.7.

NOTE FROM THE LAST GAME

• Off the Bench: The Cardinal bench has been able to come up big. This marks the fifth time this season that the bench has outscored the opponent's bench. Lamar's bench outscored the Demons' bench, 20-17.

LAST TIME WE MET

• Senior Moe Kinard totaled a game-high 29 points in a routing of New Orleans, 79-57.
• Senior Chastadie Barrs recorded just her third triple-double of the season finishing with 17 points, 12 steals and 10 rebounds.