BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's basketball team will wind down 2025 in Commerce, Texas as it looks to take on East Texas A&M at the Commerce Fieldhouse on New Year's Eve. The women will tip off against the Lions at 2:30 p.m, following the men's game. It will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
PREVIOUSLY
The Cardinals (5-5, 2-1 SLC) fell to Northwestern State, 60-57, in their most recent game. For the second game in a row, R'Mani Taylor scored 16 points to lead LU. Shaila Forman earned her first career collegiate start and was also in double figures with 11 points. 
  
SWEET SIXTEEN AGAIN, R'MANI?
LU's most recent contest was the sixth time Taylor finished with at least 16 points in her four-year career. In the previous two games, she converted 53.8 percent from the field (14-of-26). Ironically, Taylor's all-time career high came against ETAMU during the 2023 SLC Tournament semifinals, when she scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the three-point arc. 
 
SHE'S NO ROOKIE. SHE'S A SCORER
Forman, the freshman from Baton Rouge, La., remains LU's leading scorer with 12 points per game despite starting the first nine games as the first player off the bench. She is currently the second-leading scorer amongst all freshmen in the conference, trailing Houston Christian's Kamryn McLaurin (12.8 ppg). 
 
ALL TIME VS. EAST TEXAS A&M
All-time, the Cardinals are 6-3 against ETAMU. LU has won the last four games against the Lions, including a 71-57 win last season in Commerce. Jacei Denley was the second-leading rebounder with seven, while she and Taylor each had four assists.
 
ABOUT THE LIONS
ETAMU (5-5, 1-2 SLC) took down the reigning conference champion Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks, 71-68, in Commerce Monday evening. Reza Po was one of two scorers in the game with 22 points, while Cora Horvath (13), J'Unti Franklin (12) and Tiani Ellison (10) all were in double figures. The Lions are one of three teams in the conference that averages 70 ppg. Horvath (10.7 ppg) and Ellison (12.0 ppg) are two Lions who average in double figures along with the team's leading scorer, Reza Po (13.9 ppg).
 
UP NEXT
Round one of the Battle of the Border matchups with McNeese will take place Saturday at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles, La. The game will start at 1:00 p.m. and be streamed on ESPN+.