BEAUMONT, Texas – After an impressive win Thursday evening to get back to .500 on the season, the Lamar University Cardinals will look to make it two in row Monday when they return to the court at the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center to host Southern Mississippi.
 
The second home game in the midst of a stretch that will see Lamar at home for five of six, got out to a great start Thursday when the Cardinals dispensed of UL Monroe, 97-73. The contest which was close for the majority of the first half saw LU began to pull away early in the second half.
 
The Cardinals shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the first half, and better than 52 percent for the game in pulling away from ULM. Big Red finished the night with five players in double figures led by B.B. Knight's 19 points. The team's leading scorer on the season has struck for double digits six times this season and has only led the team in scoring in three different games as the Cardinals continue to show a balanced attack offensively.
 
Knight is currently just one of two players in the Southland Conference to come off the bench and lead his team in scoring, but he is the only player of that group to not yet have started at least one game.
 
After a slow start to the season, the Golden Eagles also sit at 5-5 on the year. Southern Miss has turned it around lately having won three of its last four with wins over Milwaukee, UAB and Northwestern State. Monday's game will serve as the third consecutive Southland Conference foe for the Golden Eagles.
 
The Cardinals bring a balanced attack into the contest leading the Southland Conference averaging better than 83 points per game with four players averaging in double figures, and all of them averaging fewer than 13 per game. Lamar also has a fifth player – Ja'Sean Jackson – averaging just under 10.0 per game (9.8 ppg).
 
Southern Miss heads to the Golden Triangle with three players who average at least 13 points per contest (two averaging at least 15) for an offense that the scores nearly 69 points per game. As a team, Southern Miss shoots better than 40 percent from the field but the Golden Eagles are converting just 31.3 percent of their three-point attempts.
 
Monday's contest tips off at 7 p.m. from the Neches Arena and will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI. It will also be streamed live on Newstalk 560 KLVI.