NEW ORLEANS, La. – Lamar University heads to New Orleans looking for a fourth-straight victory after a thrilling 10-point win at then co-leading Nicholls. Winners in three straight and five of the last seven games, the Cardinals caught fire in the first half (shooting better than 70 percent from the field) and never cooled off knocking down 10 three-pointers and scoring 90 points to hand Nicholls a second-straight loss.
 
The Cardinals (10-8/5-4 SLC) head to New Orleans alone in fifth place just a game back of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. On the other side of the court, New Orleans is looking to quickly get back on the floor. The Privateers trailed Stephen F. Austin by 15 points in the second half Saturday only to run out of time falling by five points. Lamar and New Orleans are separated by only one game in the standings.
 
History is not on Lamar's side in this one. The Privateers have dominated the series to the tune of a 33-11 (.750) overall record, and the city of New Orleans has been very tough on Big Red. LU has just four wins all-time at New Orleans (4-16/.200), but head coach Alvin Brooks has led Lamar to wins in three of the past four meetings including a 22-point decision the last time the two hooked up in the Big Easy.
 
Monday's game is set for a 7 p.m. start from Lakefront Arena. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. the Privateers
History has not been on Lamar's side in the series versus UNO. The Cards trail the all-time series, 33-11 (.750), with only four wins (4-16/.200) coming in New Orleans. Lamar has won three of the past four games but UNO won the only game last year.
 
Enter the Cardinal
LU has had at least one player hit the 20-point plateau 12 times this season, but junior Rob Lee, Jr. has taken it to another level in the team's past two games. The Flint, Mich., native scored a career-high 31 points Monday against Houston Christian. He scored 24 of his 31 in the final 20 minutes as LU rallied to defeat the Huskies. Lee remained hot Saturday in the win over Nicholls. He converted 6-of-9 (.667) field goal attempts and was 4-of-5 (.800) from long range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to score a team-high 20 points. Over the course of the past two games he is averaging 25.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 15-of-22 (.681) from the field and 8-of-11 (.727) from three-point range.
 
Speed Limit: 90
Known more for their defensive prowess, the Cardinals proved Saturday they can fill it up on the offensive end of the floor. LU scored 90 points for the third time this season and the first against an NCAA Division I opponent. Lamar ended the night shooting 64 percent from the field after a first half that saw them knock down 20-of-28 (.714) attempts.
 
Seeing Double⁵
Lamar University had five players score in double figures in Saturday's win at Nicholls. It marks the first time this season that Lamar ended a game with at least five players in double figures. It is the first time Big Red has had five players score at least 10 points in a game since Jan. 20th of last year when the Cardinals did it against Nicholls in Thibodaux.
 
The Red and (Errol) White
It has been a tough season offensively for senior Errol White but he was one of five Cardinals to hit double figures in Saturday's win at Nicholls. It marks the second time this season White has scored at least 10 points in a game.
 
Need ASSISTance?
Freshman point guard Eian Lowe continues to gain more confidence on the court with each passing game. He took another step forward in Saturday's win over Nicholls. In a game where the Cardinals scored 90 points, Lowe dished out a career-high seven assists.
 
Defense Doesn't Rest
LU has several players either leading the SLC or battling for the lead in several different defensive stats. Sophomore Braden East leads the league averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, Andrew Holifield is tied for second averaging 2.0 blocks per game and Cody Pennebaker is tied for eighth averaging 1.4 steals per game.
 
Building on the Past
Head coach Alvin Brooks has a direct link to Lamar's successful history. One in a long line of LU standout point guards, Brooks guided the Cards to a 47-16 (.746) overall record, two conference titles, the NCAA Sweet 16, a 3-2 NCAA tournament record and graduated as the school's all-time leader in assists. He is a member of the Cardinals Hall of Honor.
 
The Cardinal Rule
Lamar has been one of the SLC'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 85 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, three SLC All-Defensive selections, two freshmen and a defensive player of the year.