BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University sits alone in second place in the Southland Conference standings after a big win over Stephen F. Austin Saturday and trails first-place McNeese by just a game. The Cardinals will turn their attention to a quick road trip Thursday to take on last season's conference tournament runner-up, Southeastern Louisiana, at the University Center in Hammond, La. The game will start at 6:00 p.m. and be streamed on ESPN+.
 
PREVIOUSLY
The Cardinals (12-6, 8-2 SLC) took over second place in the conference by defeating SFA, 73-63, at Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. Kamryn Wilson scored a career-high 29 points on 12-of-20 shooting, which included five threes. Jacei Denley added 10 points and dished out six assists.
 
SMILE FOR THE KAMRYN
Saturday marked the third time this season that Kamryn Wilson scored 20-plus points in a single game. This was the 10th occasion in the Aqua Franklin era where a Cardinal scored 29 or more points in a game, and Wilson became the sixth player to achieve this feat, joining Portia Adams, Akasha Davis, Sabria Dean, Angel Hastings, and Malay McQueen. She remains LU's current leader in scoring (12.1 points per game), which is in the top 13 in the SLC.
 
LUD: LAMAR UNIVERSITY DEFENSE
Entering Saturday, SFA had the highest scoring offense in the league during conference games (80.3 ppg). LU was the first conference team to hold the Ladyjacks to under 70 points in the league and the first team to do so since November. The difference in the game was when the Cardinals limited SFA to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. In seven games, LU has held opponents to single digits in nine quarters and is 6-1 when achieving this feat.
 
IN JACEI'S DEN
Last week, Jacei Denley averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals per game. The former West Brook Bruin connected on 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the field, including 4-of-6 from behind the three-point line.
 
ALL TIME VS. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
LU is 27-23 all-time against the Lions after falling, 60-48, last season in Hammond. The loss was the 15th in 24 trips to the University Center. Previously, the Cardinals had won eight of the previous nine games against SLU.
 
ABOUT THE LIONS
SLU (2-16, 1-11 SLC) is searching for its first win since Nov. 22nd. The Lions recently fell, 69-66, to Nicholls. Aliyah Collins, a former UIW player, led the way with 16 points and is one of two players averaging double figures (13.4 ppg) along with Lihi Azouri (11.5 ppg), who is seventh in the conference in three-point percentage (37.7).  
 
UP NEXT
Lamar will set its sights on hosting the second Battle of the Border showdown against McNeese Saturday at Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. The game will start at 3 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on Newstalk 560 KLVI.