BEAUMONT, Texas - The tandem of Akasha Davis and Jacei Denley combined for 33 points as Lamar University provided fans an early glimpse of the squad with a 70-39 exhibition win over East Texas Baptist University Saturday at the Neches Arena. LU was sparked by a strong first half and a dominant defense that held the Tigers to 28.9% from the field.

Davis led all scorers with 19 points on seven-of-eight from the field and was one rebound shy of a double-double. Jacei Denley picked up 14 points while R'Mani Taylor added 10 points and recorded a game-high four assists. The Cardinals finished the game shooting 46.7% from the floor.

The Cardinals dominated the first quarter as they opened the contest on a 15-0 run. In a quarter that had LU converting 57.1% from the field, the Cardinals' defense held ETBU to just a pair of field goals for a 17-4 lead. While the scoring got higher in the second quarter, LU's 24 points were based on a 60.0% outing from the field. The Tigers would post their quarter-high 15 points but struggled to stop the tandem of Davis and Denley, who combined for 22 points in the first half as LU led 41-19 at the break.

The third quarter was a defensive struggle as both teams combined for five field goals and eight free throws to put the score at 53-26 in LU's favor. The last 10 minutes of play saw LU convert half of its 14 field goal attempts to bring the final score to 70-39.

Big Red will get set to open the 2024-25 season at home on Monday, Nov. 4th against Texas A&M-San Antonio. It will be a morning contest as the tip-off is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
 

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