BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University returns to action Sunday to take on a former Southland Conference foe – Sam Houston. The Cardinals (1-1) will look to move back above the .500 mark against the defending Conference USA champion Bearkats. Big Red is coming off a tough out at No. 23 Texas A&M where the Cardinals ran into a hot shooting Aggie squad that had its best performance from the field this season.
 
Despite the setback, Lamar had another strong start performance from newcomers Alexis Marmelejos and Andrew Holifield. Marmolejos led the Cardinals with 23 points while Holifield recorded his, and the team's, first double-double of the season (13 points and 10 rebounds).
 
The Bearkats (1-2) are heading into their four consecutive road game to start the season. SHSU has dropped games against Nevada and Baylor and have defeated Tarleton.
 
Sunday will mark the 77^th meeting in between the two schools in a series that dates back to the 1951-52 season. The Bearkats lead the all-time series, 42-34, but the Cardinals are five games over .500 in Beaumont (21-16). LU enters the weekend trying to end a three-game slide to SHSU, with the last win coming in March 2021 at the Southland Conference Basketball tournament.
 
Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on EPSN+.
   
LU vs the Bearkats
The series between Lamar and Sam Houston dates back to the 1951-52 season and has been played out 76 time with the majority of those coming in conference play. The Bearkats hold the advantage in the series, 42-34, but the Cardinals hold a 21-16 (.568) mark in Beaumont. Big Red has dropped the last three games and is looking for its first in the series since the 2020-21 season when Lamar knocked off the Bearkats by one point in the tournament.
 
Double-Double
Lamar University junior Andrew Holifield recorded the first double-double of his Lamar career, and the Cardinals first double-double of the season, against No. 23 Texas A&M. The Beaumont, Texas native scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against the Aggies. He also blocked a shot and recorded a steal in 35 minutes of action.
 
Holi Cow!
Junior forward Andrew Holifield has made a triumphant return to his hometown. Currently the team's second-leading scorer and and second-leading rebounder, Holifield kick off his career by leading the team with 20 points in the season opener. He followed that up by becoming the first Cardinal to record a double-double this season. He is currently averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.
 
Downeaster Alexis
Junior Alexis Marmolejos currently leads the Cardinals in scoring. After recording an 18-point performance on opening night, he returned to the court against the nationally ranked Aggies and scored a team-high 23. Marmolejos is one of four Cardinals averaging in double-figures and leads the squad scoring 20.5 through two games. The Cardinals have had at least one player hit the 20-point plateau in their first two games.
 
I'm Sorry Mr. Jackson
Senior Ja'Sean Jackson has provided the Cardinals with some scoring punch off the bench in the early part of the season. He has struck for double figures in both games and enters Sunday's contest averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
 
Like a Thief in the Night
Although it is very early in the season, Ja'Sean Jackson is proving to be an impact player on both ends of the floor. The San Antonio native is average double-figure points and his 3.5 steals per game currently lead the Southland Conference.


Building Off the 2023-24 Momentum
Lamar enters the 2024-25 season looking to build off the momentum from last season. The Cardinals entered the 2024 postseason as the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. It was the highest seed for Big Red since the 2011-12 season. Last season also saw the Cards record more NCAA Division I wins in a season since 2012 (and the third most wins since 1988), record the most conference wins since 2018, most home wins since 2019 and finish eighth nationally in fast break points per game.
 
The Cardinal Rule
Lamar University has been one of the Southland Conference's more dominant teams. LU has won 53 percent of the league games and has more NCAA tournament appearances than any of the current SLC schools (6), and their five NIT berths are also tops in the league. LU had 84 players earn All-SLC honors, including 32 first-team selections. Six players were named league newcomer of the year, five SLC tournament MVPs, four SLC Players of the Year, two freshmen of the year and a defensive player of the year.