BEAUMONT, Texas – There is more excitement surrounding Saturday's Southland Conference battle between Lamar University and Nicholls than just the typical matchup between two conference schools. The game will be a battle between two teams sitting near the top of the league standings with Nicholls tied for second just a game up on Big Red. The two schools have an identical overall record.
 
If the Cardinals can continue their conference home unbeaten streak they would move into a tie with Nicholls in the Southland standings, and even more important they would secure the any possible tiebreak on Nicholls at the end of the year by having swept the series.
 
In addition to that all of that – which is more than enough to get the least of fans excited for gameday – the first edition of this contest saw the Cardinals rally from 12 down late in the contest only to force overtime and defeat Nicholls on their home floor.
 
Will Saturday's contest be a carbon copy of the first meeting with extra time needed to decide a winner (I've just placed myself in the doghouse with the coaching staffs at both schools for that comment)? We won't know until gametime but the talent on both sides of the court suggests it will be an exciting game. Keep in mind, the Colonels have already played in five overtime games this season including two that have gone to double-overtime and one that has gone to triple overtime – meaning the Colonels have already played an extra game than what they were expected to at this point in the year. Two of those overtime contests have come within their previous four games.
 
Nicholls enters the contest having won four straight and are coming off double-digit wins against Houston Christian and Northwestern State. The Cardinals have won three of their past four and are looking to bounce back from an eight-point set back at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
Led by four players in double figures, the Cardinals continue to lead the league in scoring averaging 80.9 points per game, while Nicholls is fifth in the league in that category (74.4 ppg). The two schools are basically even on the defensive end of the floor with Nicholls allowing 75.4 points per game and the Cardinals surrendering 75.7.
 
The Cardinals also have a slight upperhand in terms of rebounds, free throw shooting, turnovers and three-point shooting. The Cardinals are second in the SLC in shooting the three, while Nicholls is second in the league at preventing the three-point shot.
 
The game will tip off Saturday at 6 p.m. from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.