BEAUMONT, Texas - With 2024 underway, Lamar University's women's basketball team also looks to get off to a good start in the Southland Conference as they will open with a home meeting against the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals to start conference play. The conference season opens this Thursday night at 7:00 p.m at the Neches Arena.
ENDING 2023 ON A HIGH
Lamar completed a comeback over Loyola Marymount to win 61-58. Down 34-24 in the first half, they outscored the Lions 37-24 to capture the victory marking the sixth win on the season. One major reason was LU capitalizing on turnovers as they outscored LMU 25-6 in points off turnovers.
MISS GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Jacei Denley sealed LU's win by knocking down a buzzer-beater for the victory. She finished as the game's high scorer with 15 points including three from downtown and 12 second half points. After achieving her season high, Denley is third on the team in scoring with 7.1 ppg.
A MINER WHO PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE
T'Aaliyah Miner finished with 10 points off the bench. She helped contributed to giving LU their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter tallying six of the points. This was the third time this season that she reached double-figures afrter having 10 against UT-Arlington and 11 against Nebraska.
THE ULTIMATE CARDINAL
In both meetings last season, Akasha Davis averaged 24.5 points and 10 rebounds against UIW. Down in Beaumont, Davis poured in 26 points and grabbed eight boards. Then, she grabbed 12 boards and finished with 23 points in San Antonio. Both results would be wins for LU.
HISTORY VS. THE UIW CARDINALS
LU has won 14 of 16 meetings all-time against UIW, As of now, LU is on a four-game winning streak against UIW. Last season, the Cardinals swept UIW by scores of 72-52 in Beaumont and 74-67 in San Antonio.
MEET THE UIW CARDINALS
UIW finished 7-4 in non-conference play. Averaging 60.8 ppg, the Cardinals are led by Aliyah Collins, who averages 10.8 ppg and has scored in double-figures in six of her eight appearances. Nina De Leon Negron averages 9.8 ppg while she has 33 assists to lead UIW and put her third in the Southland Conference.
THE BEST DEFENSE
Through non-conference play, the Cardinals have allowed a conference-low 53.0 ppg, which bests Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by two points. Five times this season has UIW allowed fewer than 50 points including 36 against Texas Lutheran. De Leon Negron also leads UIW with 22 steals while Myra Bell comes off the bench to block a team-high eight shots.
UP NEXT FOR LU
The Cardinals will have another home contest this Saturday against Northwestern State at 3:00 p.m.
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