BEAUMONT, Texas – Despite being midway through December and five games into the 2020-21 regular season, the Lamar University men's basketball team will finally be tipping off the home portion of their schedule Tuesday when they host Southern Mississippi.
 
The Cardinals (1-4) roll into the week carrying some momentum. After starting the year 0-4 with four tough road games, the Cardinals picked up their first win last week when they rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to defeat UL Monroe on a shot at the buzzer. The Cardinals have since turned their attention to Southern Miss and trying to make it consecutive wins.
 
The Golden Eagles have had a tough start to the season, and it has nothing to do with their record. Southern Miss was originally scheduled to have seven games under their belt before traveling to Beaumont, but COVID-19 has taken a toll on the schedule. Through the first six games of the year, USM had every other game canceled, and finally broke that string Saturday against South Alabama. The Golden Eagles are 1-3 (.250) on the season and are coming off consecutive losses, including a heartbreaking one-point decision (76-75) to the Jaguars.
 
Tuesday's contest will mark the 14^th all-time meeting between the two schools, but the first since the 2005-06 season. The Golden Eagles hold a slight one-game edge (7-6/.538) in the series, but the two schools have split the past four meetings. The Cardinals are 5-2 (.714) all-time against the Golden Eagles in Beaumont. The last time the two schools met in the Golden Triangle came during the 1976-77 season when the Cards recorded a 95-76 victory. The last time two met on the court (2005-06) saw Southern Miss take a three-point decision in a game that was played in Fairbanks, Alaska.
 
Although the two programs may not have a long history, USM's head coach, Jay Ladner, is quite familiar with LU having spent five seasons in the Southland Conference at Southeastern Louisiana.
 
The Cardinals continued to be led in scoring by Houston sophomore Anderson Kopp (13.8 ppg), but the Red and White finally saw the return of junior Davion Buster last week, and in his first action of the season saw him net 16 points. Senior Avery Sullivan has picked up where he left off last season averaging nearly 12 points and pulling down eight rebounds per game, while junior college transfer Quinlan Bennett has come in and proven himself to be another scoring option for head coach Tic Price. Bennett is averaging better than 11 points per contest and recorded the team's first double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds last time out against UL Monroe.
 
Southern Miss is in a similar position to LU having seen their offense struggle at times in the early going. Southern Miss is averaging 56.3 points per game on the season, while surrendering 59 to their opponents. The Cardinals are averaging 56.4 points per game on the year, while surrendering 70 – but that number is skewed due to the season opener at No. 17 Houston. The Golden Eagles have been making opponents pay on the glass outrebounding opponents by five rebounds per game.
 
Tuesday's game will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560, and streamed live on ESPN+.