BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University returns to action Friday when it travels to Akron, Ohio, to compete in the Akron Basketball Classic. The classic is a four-team tournament that will see the Cardinals play three games in as many days.
 
The Cardinals head north looking for a bounce back after dropping consecutive games to very tough opponents. After opening the year at home with a win, the Cardinals then faced No. 23 Texas A&M and then returned home to host the defending Conference USA champions in Sam Houston. It's a similar story for Akron who enters its tournament with an identical 1-2 (.667) record. The Zips picked up a home win but dropped tough road games at Arkansas State and St. Mary's.
 
Alabama State and Omaha – the other two teams in the tournament who Lamar will face on the second and third days of the tournament, respectively, will face each other in Friday's first game. The Hornets are 1-2 but picked up a victory last time out after dropping games at UNLV and LSU. Omaha opened the year with consecutive wins before dropping its last three to Minnesota, UNLV and Southern Utah. Two of the three setbacks were losses of four points or fewer.
 
All three games of the Akron Basketball Classic will take place at the James A. Rhodes Arena. Lamar's game against Akron will be streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. the Zips
Friday's contest between Lamar University and Akron will be just the fourth meeting in series history. The Cardinals trail the all-time series, 1-2 (.333), with the last meeting coming during the 1991-92 season. All three previous meetings have been in different locations with each team winning on its home floor and Akron recording a win during the 1990-91 season on a neutral court.
 
LU vs. the Hornets
Saturday's contest between Lamar University and Alabama State will be the first meeting between the two schools on the court.
 
LU vs. the Mavericks
Sunday's contest between Lamar University and Omaha will mark the first time the two schools have met on the basketball court.
 
MTE Excitement
The 2024-25 season marks the third-straight year Lamar has traveled to play in a multi-team tournament. Two years ago, Big Red made the short drive to Lake Charles and last year LU traveled to Lindenwood. The Cardinals are 3-3 (.500) in those two seasons, a record which includes two overtime games -- 2022-23 vs. Western Carolina (L, 98-91) and 2023-24 vs. Delaware State (W, 84-81).
 
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 has struck for double-figures in each of his first three games as a Cardinal. He currently leads the team and ranks third in the Southland in scoring (16.0 ppg). He is also second on the team and tied for seventh in the league in rebounds (7.0 rpg).
 
I'm Sorry Mr. Jackson
Senior Ja'Sean Jackson has provided Lamar with significant punch off the bench. The San Antonio senior has come off the bench in all three games and is third on the team averaging 14.0 points per game - having hit for double figures in all three games. He is also seventh in the Southland in assists (4.0 apg) and third in steals (2.7 spg). All of this while averaging just 23.0 minutes per game.
 
Looking to Build 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 year 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.