BEAUMONT, Texas – The recent decisions to cancel the remainder of the 2020 spring athletics schedule has left a void for sports fans across the country. LamarCardinals.com thought it would be a great time to look back at some of the great moments, athletes and coaches that have helped Lamar University stand out in the competition arena. Over the course of the coming days and weeks, LamarCardinals.com will be posting stories – in no particular order – reliving some of these great moments.
   
From February 1978 through March 1984 the Lamar University men's basketball team went on a run which still stands as the longest stretch of home court success in program history, and one of the longest in NCAA history. During that time, the Cardinals rattled off 80 consecutive wins on their home floor, which at the time was the nation's longest streak.
 
The streak began on February 18, 1978, with a five-point victory over Arkansas State. At the time, it was the team's 15^th win of the season, and just another notch on their way to a 1977-78 Southland Conference Championship in a season that watched Big Red post an 18-9 (.667) overall record.
 
Over the course of the next seven seasons, LU would rattle off 79 home more wins, record six Southland Conference titles, advanced to four NCAA Championship tournaments with two NIT appearances and have 20 players named to the All-Southland Conference team including 10 first-team selections. The Cardinals went on to record at least one victory in the NCAA Championships each year they advanced posting a 5-4 (.556) record. Big Red's victims in postseason play included No. 17 Detroit Mercy – before advancing on to play No. 4 Michigan State who was led by Magic Johnson, No. 17 Weber State, No. 5 Oregon State, Missouri and Alabama. In addition to the big-time opponents LU faced, the Cardinals also competed against some of the greatest players of the time, players who would go on to have strong careers in the NBA. Those players include Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech), Cedric Maxwell (UNC Charlotte), Joe Dumars (McNeese), Andrew Toney (UL Lafayette), Reggie Theus (Cal State Northridge), Mark Aguirre (DePaul), Rodney and Scooter McCray (Louisville), Darrell Griffith (Louisville) and Kenny Natt (UL Monroe).
 
The streak eventually came to an end on March 10, 1984 against Louisiana Tech in the Southland Conference tournament.

What at the time appeared to be just another victory in the Cardinals chase for the 1978 league crown turned out to be the beginning of one of the most magical runs in school and NCAA history. The Red and White posted a 159-54 (.746) overall record during that stretch as the Cardinals set a mark which still stands as the seventh-longest home court win streak in NCAA history. The first four years of the streak saw the Cardinals average better than 82 points per game, including a 1978-79 squad that averaged an astonishing 90.9 points per game (before the institution of the three-point line).

Please continue to check back with LamarCardinals.com as we continue to update more Great Moments in Cardinals History.