BEAUMONT, Texas – The headline may look awkward but due to a unique quirk in the 2022-23 schedule, the Lamar University men's basketball team will turn right back around and play the team it just defeated, Houston Christian. The only difference is this time it will be at Sharp Gym in Houston.
 
The Cardinals improved to 9-18 (.333) on the season and 5-9 (.357) in Southland Conference play Thursday after rallying from a seven-point halftime deficit to post a 91-75 victory. The Cardinals got career highs from Nate Calmese (32 points) and Terry Anderson (24 points) as they shot 76 percent in the second half and better than 65 percent for the game to pick up the win.
 
Big Red's victory, along with a couple of minor upsets, really tightened things up in the league standings. The Cardinals moved into a four-way tie for sixth place as team's jockey for position in the upcoming SLC tournament. In addition to the four-way tie, New Orleans also got a win to stay just a game off the pace.
 
Saturday's contest won't be anything new for the Cardinals, who faced a similar situation earlier this year in non-conference play. After going on the road to play Southern Mississippi, Big Red returned home for a rematch against the Golden Eagles just three nights later.
 
While LU leads the all-time series, 18-10 (.643), over Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist), the venues have played a huge role in the outcomes. Both teams have dominated on their home floor. The Cards are 14-3 (.824) in Beaumont, but HCU holds 7-2 (.778) advantage in Houston. The Cardinals have now won two of the last three meetings in the series and seven of eight.  
 
Saturday's game is slated for a 7 p.m. tip off from Sharp Gym. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
 

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