BEAUMONT, Texas - While Lamar University (13-4, 8-0 Southland) was out for most of the week due to cold weather, it turned up the heat inside the Neches Federal Credit Union at the Montagne Center Saturday with an 83-65 shootout win over East Texas A&M (4-13/1-7 SLC). With six players scoring, the Cardinals are currently on an eight-game win streak.
 
Four of LU's five starters reached double figures as Sabria Dean led all scorers with 23 points (10-of-16). She also grabbed six rebounds, which makes her the 12th Cardinal to reach both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds for her career. Akasha Davis had a sweet day securing 16 points and rebounds for a double-double. Jacei Denley posted 17 points and three steals while NJ Weems added 12 points. R'Mani Taylor (seven) and T'Aaliyah Miner (eight) added the other 15 points.
 
The Cardinals converted 52.2 percent from the field and were able to outrebound the Lions, 40-33. While ETAMU (43.3 percent) connected on nine three-pointers and would capitalize from the bench with 23 points, Big Red won the game on the inside with 48 points.
 
The first quarter saw both teams combine for 40 points as LU took a 24-16 lead. At first, it was the Lions, who made four three-pointers in the quarter, that jumped out to a 10-6 lead. For the rest of the quarter, the Cardinals had two runs of eight unanswered points to lead 14-10 and 24-16 after one. Denley tallied eight points in the quarter while the other starters combined for 14 points as Big Red shot a team-high 58.8 percent in the quarter.
 
Taylor scored LU's first five points in the second to lead 29-20. ETAMU trimmed the margin to 31-27 with 4:17 to go. Then, it was Davis' turn to carry the load as she surged for six points to hand the Cardinals their first double-digit lead of the game. A three pointer by ETAMU ended the first half with Big Red up 39-32.
 
Both teams caught fire in the third quarter as the Cardinals outscored ETAMU, 26-21. The Lions, who connected on a 60 percent from the field, would get as close as 41-36. As for LU's response, Dean sparked a 7-2 run to bring the lead back to double-digits, which the Cardinals wouldn't relinquish. The Mineola native recorded seven points in the third, while Weems added eight points as Big Red finished a 57.9 percent quarter to lead 65-53.
 
The game was decided early in the fourth when Big Red started with a 10-2 run. Dean was instrumental with eight points to complete a 15-point second half. The Cardinals shot 50 percent from the field, which included six points from Miner off the bench. The Lions' deadly three-point ball wouldn't fall in the final 10 minutes as LU walked off with its eighth straight win.
 
The Cardinals will have to turn the page fast as Monday night sees them home against Northwestern State in a makeup from Thursday's postponed contest. The game will tip off at 4 p.m.

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