BEAUMONT, Texas – The 2024-25 season for the Lamar University women's basketball team begins Monday at 11:00 a.m. The Cardinals will host Texas A&M-San Antonio at the Neches Arena in front of several elementary schools for its annual Education Day.
Previously
LU hosted East Texas Baptist University in an exhibition contest and got a 70-39 win.
Akasha Davis led all scorers with 19 points and came up one rebound shy of a double-double.
Jacei Denley added 14 points while
R'Mani Taylor scored 10 and led everyone with four assists.
Opening the Season at Home? Keep the Tradition Going
Last season, Big Red opened the regular season with a 108-point outburst against Texas College at the Neches Arena. Davis (24),
Taliah Hill (13),
NJ Weems (12), and
Sabria Dean (10) would combine for 59 points in the win. The Cardinals have won their last nine season-opening home games since the 2015-16 season. The previous time LU lost a home opener was against UL Lafayette in 2014-15.
Top 25 Ranking Already?
The Cardinals were ranked 24th in the CollegeInsider.com Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 poll. LU received 79 points in the poll, which put them six points ahead of Northern Arizona (25th) and 14 points behind Southern Indiana (23rd). LU was previously ranked as high as 21st last season.
All-Time vs. the Jaguars
This will mark the first meeting between the Cardinals and the Jaguars.
About the Jaguars
In their inaugural season as a program, the Jaguars began their history with an 89-73 win over Southern University (New Orleans). San Antonio had five players score double figures in the win led by 20 from Evelyn Lorenzo. Natalia Trevino netted 17 points while Maya Simon (14) and TaMya Whitemon (13) combined for 27 points. Talaiyah Andrews added 10 points off the bench.
Head Coach Chris Minner
The Jaguars hired Chris Minner as their inaugural head coach on Jan. 5th, 2024. He previously had stints at Texas A&M-Texarkana, Midway University (Ky.), and Our Lady of the Lake. At Midway, he posted a 62-25 record, including 23-9 in his final season, leading the Eagles to the NAIA national tournament. At OLLU, he won 189 games, including 123 in Red River Athletic Conference play. Minner is 39 wins away from 500 in his coaching career.
Up Next
The Cardinals will travel to Austin on Nov. 13th to face the fourth-ranked Texas Lady Longhorns. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
