BEAUMONT, Texas – Once league rivals, Lamar University prepares to face a former Southland Conference foe Thursday evening when they return to action at the Montagne Center. The Cardinals return to the court for the first time since a disappointing trip to SMU Sunday, and it will be their first game in Beaumont since a Nov. 14^th victory.
 
The Cardinals will hit the court looking to put an end to a small slide that has seen LU drop three straight including games against Western Carolina and the aforementioned SMU Mustangs. A bright spot for the shorthanded Cardinals Sunday was sophomore center Valentin Catt. The Orangefield native, got the start and played 31 minutes and led the team with 16 points and seven rebounds. The big man was 6-of-9 from the field and also blocked two shots, dished out two assists and managed to stay out of foul trouble.
 
Big Red will look to put an end to three-game slide against a Texas State squad that is 4-3 and has won two of its last three outings – including wins over Southern Utah and California. The lone loss during that stretch was a seven-point setback at Hawaii.
 
Although the two schools are former conference rivals, there is recent history between the two. The series, which is tied at 29-29, has been played three times since the 2013-14 season, including an opening-round game in the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Bobcats have won the previous four meetings with the Cardinals last victory coming during the 2011-12 season in San Marcos. LU holds a 17-11 (.607) all-time record over the Bobcats in Beaumont.
 
Thursday's contest is slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m. from the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 and streamed live on ESPN+.