BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's basketball team returns home looking to hit the reset button following a tough five-game stretch. The Cardinals (1-5) have dropped their last five games (four of which have been away from home) and have included nationally ranked Texas A&M, defending Conference USA champion Sam Houston and Akron. Saturday's contest against Our Lady of the Lake (Saturday, 6 p.m.) is important for a couple different reasons.
 
First, the Cardinals would like nothing better than to erase the bitter taste of the previous five games by hanging a win on the board. Second, Saturday is Lamar's lone home contest in the next six games – a run that will carry them all the way through the Christmas holidays, include the start of conference play and see trips to UL Lafayette, Southern Mississippi, Texas Tech.
 
OLLU will not be an easy contest. One of the top ranked NAIA schools in the nation, the Saints are off to one of their best starts in school history and enter the weekend showdown in the Golden Triangle sporting a perfect 9-0 record. The Saints bring a high-powered offensive attack to Beaumont that has seen them score in the 90s four times with two 100-point games.
 
Saturday's game is slated to tip off at 6 p.m. from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 and streamed live on ESPN+.
  LU vs. the Saints
Saturday's contest marks just the third time the two schools have met on the court with Lamar winning the two previous meetings - both played in Beaumont. It will be the third time the two have played in the previous four years. OLLU put up a strong fight falling by three during the 2021-22 season and the Cardinals posted a 91-56 victory in 2022-23.
 
ABC All-Tournament
Junior guard Alexis Marmolejos was named to the Akron Basketball Classic All-Tournament team following Sunday's game. A native of the Dominican Republic, Marmolejos averaged 19 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in the three contests. He also netted a career-high 28 in Saturday's contest against Alabama State. Marmolejos has scored in double figures in all but one game so far this year for the Red and White and has scored at least 20 points in a game twice. Marmolejos is making an early season push for Southland Newcomer of the Year honors currently ranked second in the Southland Conference in scoring averaging 17.2 points per game. Marmolejos is doing this while playing fewer than 30 minutes per game.
 
Lamar's Triple Scoring Threat
Alexis Marmolejos isn't the only scoring threat opposing defenses must worry about. The Cardinals have three players ranked among the league's top 20 in scoring. In addition to Marmolejos (2nd), senior Ja'Sean Jackson and junior Andrew Holifield are tied for 14th in the league averaging 12.2 points per game.
 
I'm Sorry Mr. Jackson
Ja'Sean Jackson's senior season is off to a great start. Providing the Cardinals with some pop off the bench, Jackson has struck for double-figures in all but one of Lamar's games this season. He is currently second on the team, and tied for 14th in the league in scoring, averaging 12.2 points per game, sixth in the Southland in assists (3.8 apg) and tied for third in steals (2.0 spg).
 
Double-Double
Senior Adam Hamilton recorded his first double-double of the season, and the team's second, with his 12 points and 11 rebounds against Alabama State. It is his seventh career double-double.
 
The Great Wall of Beaumont
The Cardinals have sent a message in the early part of the season that they will be tough to score on in the low post. Big Red has two players ranked in the top 10 in the Southland in blocks. Newcomer, and Beaumont native, Andrew Holifield is fifth (1.3 bpg) while senior Adam Hamilton is tied for eighth (1.0 bpg).
 
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.