BEAUMONT, Texas – Winners of five straight, including four consecutive on the road, the Lamar University men's basketball team (6-5/2-0 SLC) will place their streak on the line at Texas Tech. The Cardinals, who are now a game over the .500 mark, will take on a Red Raiders squad that is 8-2 (.800) on the season and coming off a 16-point victory over Oral Roberts.
 
The Cardinals opened the month of December with a 2-5 record and facing the reality of playing its next five games on the road, including two early Southland contests. Flash forward three weeks and the Cardinals have taken the first four games of the current five-game road swing, a streak that includes historic wins at UL Lafayette and at Southern Mississippi, and no matter what happens in the Cardinals final two non-conference games of the season Big Red will return to league play to start the New Year in a three-way tie for first place.
 
The Cardinals last two wins have been historic in terms of the last time they beat their previous opponent and beat that opponent on its home floor. The Cardinals will be looking to do the same with it steps on the court against Texas Tech. Big Red is 1-4 (.200) all-time against Tech with the long victory coming during the 2008-09 season. Big Red has never defeated Texas Tech in Lubbock.
 
Saturday's game will tip off at noon from United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. the Red Raiders
Lamar University and Texas Tech have met on the court five previous times in program history with the Red Raiders holding a 4-1 (.800) all-time record. Each victory in the series has come on each school's home floor with the Cardinals recording a six-point win during the 2008-09 season. Saturday's contest marks the first meeting since the 2021-22 season.
 
Going Streaking
Lamar's victory at Southern Mississippi marked the program's fifth straight. It ties the program's longest win streak since LU rattled off six consecutive at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
 
Going Streaking, Part II
Lamar's current win streak has been primarily away from the Golden Triangle. While the Cardinals got the streak started at home, the previous four wins have come on the road (at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT Rio Grande Valley, UL Lafayette and Southern Mississippi). It is the longest streak for LU since rattling off six straight at the end of the 2020-21 season.
It's also the first time the Cards have won four consecutive road games since the 2018-19 season.
 
LU in December
Lamar is 304-228 (.571) all-time in the month of December and has posted better than .500 record in the month 43 times. The Cardinals have notched a perfect record in the month four times. The Cardinals' December record is 201-47 (.810) during home games in the year's final month.
 
Downeaster Alexis
Junior guard Alexis Marmolejos continued his hot start Tuesday at Southern Mississippi. A native of Santiago, D.R., Marmolejos led the team with 20 points. It marks the third time this season that he has hit the 20-point plateau, and the fourth time a Cardinal has done it. He currently ranks third in the league in scoring (16.3 ppg). He has also scored in double figures in 10 of the team's 11 games.
 
Double-Double
Beaumont native Andrew Holifield recorded his second double-double of the season with his 17 points and career-high 11 rebounds to help lead the Cardinals to a victory at UL Lafayette. Holifield was 7-of-10 (.700) from the field in that game. He also blocked two shots and recorded a steal in the victory. Holifield currently ranks among the top 20 in the Southland Conference in points and rebounds and is third in the Southland in blocked shots.
 
The Defense Doesn't Rest
In Lamar's current five-game win streak they have turned up the pressure defensively, especially from long range. Over the course of the past four games, Lamar has held its opponents to a 13-of-76 (.171) effort from long range.