BEAUMONT, Texas – After a successful regular-season run that saw Lamar University win 19 games and lock up the Southland's No. 2 overall seed – its highest seed since 2007-08 – the Cardinals now set their sights on the start of tournament play. With Lamar's No. 2 seed, the Cardinals received a two-round bye into Tuesday semifinals. The Cardinals won six of their final eight games down the stretch and closed the year with a 10-point victory over Nicholls.
 
Lamar will now turn around and play Nicholls again for the second time in eight days. Similar to Lamar, the Colonels (20-12/.625) also posted a 19 during the regular season but finished third in the standings just a game back of the LU. Due to their third-place finish, the Colonels received a first-round bye in the conference tournament where they ousted No. 7-seed UIW, 74-70 in overtime, in Monday's second round of action.
 
The Colonels enter Tuesday's contest having won five of their last six games but have struggled against Big Red this season. Lamar swept the season series from the Colonels and enter Tuesday's contest having won four straight and five of the last six meetings.
 
Tuesday's game is set for an 8:30 p.m. tip off from the Legacy Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 and streamed live on ESPN+.
 
If the Cards defeat Nicholls, they will advance to Wednesday's championship game which is set for a 4 p.m. tip off. The other semifinal has top seed McNeese taking on No. Northwestern State.
 
Ides of March
The Cardinals are making their 22nd appearance in the SLC Championships and enters the 2025 version of the tournament looking to win its fifth title and make its seventh appearance in the NCAA Championships. 
 
We're Back!
Lamar has qualified for the Southland Championship tournament for a second consecutive season (earning the four seed last year). Big Red heads to Lake Charles, La., as the No. 2 seed, the highest seed for the Red and White since the 2007-08 season. 
 
LU in the Southland Championships
LU has been one of the Southland's more dominant teams in tournament history. Big Red is making its 22nd appearance in the SLC tournament with a 25-16 (.610) all-time record. The Cardinals have won four tournament titles with two runner-up finishes. 
 
The Bracket
The rest of the teams in the bracket consist of top-seed McNeese, No. 3 Nicholls, No. 4 Northwestern State while No. 5 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, No. 6 Southeastern Louisiana, No. 7 UIW and No. 8 Houston Christian have been eliminated. The Cardinals posted a 8-5 (.615) record this season against the other seven teams in the field.
 
The Last Time Here
Lamar entered the 2024 SLC Championships as the league's No. 4 overall seed and advanced to the semifinals before being knocked out. The Cardinals opened the tournament against eighth-seeded New Orleans and recorded a 14-point victory to advance to the semifinals against eventual champion McNeese.
 
LU in Opening-Round Games
The Cardinals have had a great deal of success in their first game of the SLC Championships, regardless of the round. LU is 17-4 (.810) all-time in its opening-round games.
 
LU in the SLC Semifinals
After earning the No. 2 seed, the Cardinals have guaranteed themselves a spot in the conference tournament semifinals. It marks the Cardinals third trip to the tournament semifinals since 2021 and the 16th trip overall. The Cardinals first trip to the semifinals came during the 1981 season, and the Cards advanced to the tournament semis in their first five years in the league. The Cardinals are 6-9 (.400) all-time in the semifinals. In LU's last trip to the semis, the Cardinals dropped a 76-57 decision to the eventual tournament champion, McNeese (2024).

Being the 2
The 2025 Southland Conference Championship tournament marks the third time in program history that Big Red enters the postseason as the No. 2 overall seed (1982, 2008, 2025) and the first time since 2008. The Cardinals are 0-2 all-time in tournament play when entering as the two seed.
 
LU vs. No. 3-Seed Colonels
The series between LU and Nicholls dates back to the 1959-60 season with Big Red holding a 32-16 (.667) all-time series advantage. The Cardinals swept the season series and have now won four straight and five of the last six meetings. The two schools have met on a neutral court only one other time which was the original meeting in 1959.
 
LU in March
The Cardinals are 67-75 (.472) all-time in the month of March. The Cardinals are 1-1 (.500) in the month this season.
 
A First Time for Everything
Lamar's regular-season finale win over Nicholls was its 14th conference win of the season. It marks the first time the Cardinals have won 14 conference games in a season in program history.
 
Back-to-Back Winning Seasons
Regardless of what happens in the 2025 Southland Championship tournament, Lamar has secured back-to-back winnings seasons for the first time since 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 
The Benchmark
The Cardinals still have a shot at a 20-win season but they will need a win in the conference tournament. It would be the first 20-win campaign since 2018-19 and the 14th overall.
 
The Cardinal Rule
Lamar has been one of the Southland's more dominant teams historically. LU has won better than 53 percent of its 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 85 players earn All-SLC honors, including 32 first teamers and four all-defensive team selections. Six have been named SLC 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.