BEAUMONT, Texas – Saturday's victory over East Texas A&M wasn't always pretty but the only thing that matters is Lamar University hung another tick mark in the win column which sets up a battle of two teams tied for third in the Southland Conference standings as Northwestern State comes to town.
 
The Cardinals (11-9/6-3 SLC) enter Monday's showdown having won back-to-back games and coming off Saturday's OT thriller. Oddly, the Demons (9-11/6-3 SLC) also enter Monday night having won two straight and coming off an overtime thriller.
 
The list of games for the final week of January presents no clearer picture about the 2025 Southland Conference tournament than the opening week of the season. Six teams enter the week within three games of first place, while McNeese has a 2.0-game lead over second-place Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and the Islanders hold a slim 1.0-game lead over four schools, including Lamar (the Cards defeated A&M-Corpus on the road earlier this season). The Islanders and Cowboys are scheduled to meet Monday in Corpus Christi so the Cardinals enter the week with the opportunity to gain ground on at least one of the two schools.
 
Monday's contest is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. The game will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. the Demons
The Cardinals are two games over .500 (31-29/.517) in the series all-time but have been dominant when the two have met in Beaumont. The Cardinals are 21-7 (.750) all-time at home against NSU. The Cardinals swept the season series last year and have won seven of the last 10 meetings.
 
Defending the Nest
Lamar has made the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center one of the toughest venues for opponents to play over the course of its 30-plus year history. The Cardinals are 376-191 (.663) all-time in Neches Arena. LU recorded a program-best 15 home wins in the 1987-88 season and is 6-3 (.667) at home this year.
 
LU in January
The Cardinals are 298-286 (.510) all-time in the month of January. LU has produced above .500 records in the month 32 times in program history which includes three perfect records (1965-66, 1968-69 and 1987-88). That win percentage jumps when looking at home games. The Cards are 207-109 (.655) all-time at home in the year's first month. 
 
A Return to Form
After scoring at least 10 points in 13 of the team's first 14 games, junior Alexis Marmolejos found himself in the midst of a mild slump. Marmolejos went three-straight games not reaching double figures, but the Domincan Republic native has bounced back in a big way. Marmolejos has hit double-digits in each of the past three games including two 20-point outings. Marmolejos was key in the Cardinals overtime win Saturday with his game-high 24 points.
 
Window Washers
The Cardinals did a great job of cleaning up the glass in Saturday's win. Big Red pulled down 44 rebounds and outrebounded their guests by eight. The Cardinals had two players pull down at least double-figure rebounds – senior Errol White (11) and junior Andrew Holifield (10). It marks the third time this season the Cards have had multiple players pull down 10 rebounds.
 
The Defense Doesn't Rest
LU overcame one of its worst shooting performances of the season Saturday, but instead of panicking, the Cards simply turned to their defense. While LU was 20-of-58 (.345) from the field, Lamar held ETAMU to a 19-of-56 (.339) effort to outshoot the Lions. Big Red also held ETAMU to 7-of-31 (.226) from three-point range. It marks the 10th time this season LU has held an opponent below 40 percent in a game and the fifth time it has held a foe to less than 35 percent. It is also the ninth time the Cardinals have held a team to less than 30 percent from long range.
 
The Great Wall of Beaumont
Lamar enters Saturday's contest leading the Southland Conference in blocks (4.95 pg). The Cardinals boast of two of the league's top shot blockers in junior Andrew Holifield (1.9 pg/2nd) and senior Adam Hamilton (1.5 pg/5th). The Cardinals' 4.95 blocks per game (99 total) tie for 27th nationally ahead of powerhouse programs like Kentucky, Kansas and Iowa.
 
The Cardinal Rule
LU has been one of the Southland Conference's more dominant teams. LU has won 53 percent of league games and has more NCAA tournament appearances than any of the current SLC schools (6), and their five NIT berths are also tops in the league. LU has had 84 players earn All-SLC honors, including 32 first-team selections. Six players have been named league newcomer of the year, five SLC tournament MVPs, four SLC Players of the Year, two freshmen of the year and a defensive player of the year.