BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will look to close out its current four-game homestand on a high note Monday when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana. The Cardinals (11-11/6-7 SLC) will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking one-point setback to rival McNeese Saturday evening.
 
The loss dropped Lamar into seventh place, a game back of fifth, with nine games remaining in the regular season. The Cardinals are currently 1.5 games up eighth place and currently hold the tiebreaker over Northwestern State (with one showdown against the Demons still on the schedule).
 
Monday's opponent heads to the Golden Triangle looking to turn things around in the second half of the season. The Lions are currently 12^th in league a half game back of East Texas A&M and 1.5 games back of the eighth and final playoff spot in next month's Southland Conference tournament. SLU has dropped six of its previous seven games with the lone victory during that stretch being an upset of then second-place Nicholls.
 
The Cardinals lead the all-time series between the two schools, 30-27 (.526), a mark that includes an 18-10 (.643) record in games played in Beaumont. The Lions have the upper hand in the season series winning the first meeting in Hammond.
 
Monday's contest is slated to tip off at 6 p.m. from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 and streamed live on ESPN+.
 
LU vs. Lions
The Cardinals lead the all-time series against Southeastern Louisiana, 30-27 (.526), which includes an 18-10 (.643) record in Beaumont. While SLU won the first meeting between the two in Hammond earlier this year, the two schools have been locked in an interesting trend recently. Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Lamar and SLU have rotated wins after two games, which is good news for the Red and White if that continues to hold true.
 
Defending the Nest
Lamar University has made Neches Arena one of the toughest venues for opponents to play over the course of its 40-plus year history. The Cardinals are 386-197 (.662) all-time in Neches Arena. Lamar recorded a program-best 15 home wins in the 1987-88 season. The Cardinals are 6-5 (.545) at home in 2025-26.
 
Heading Due East
Sophomore Braden East recorded his ninth double-double of the season, and fourth in as many games, versus McNeese. The Houston, Texas native scored 13 points and pulled down 13 rebounds against the Cowboys. One of the Southland's top double-double men, he currently leads the league averaging 8.9 rebounds per game (a mark that jumps to 9.6 in conference play), is tied for the league lead in offensive rebounds and has recorded 11 double-figure rebound performances this season.
 
Enter the Cardinal
Junior Rob Lee Jr. has been on a tear recently for the Cardinals. He led Big Red with 25 points Saturday. He is averaging 21.7 points per game over the teams last six games - a stretch that includes four 20-point outings and two games of at least 28. He was recently named SLC Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 31 points against Houston Christian and followed that up with a 20-point outing in the win at then conference co-leading Nicholls. He is currently sixth in the Southland (16.5 ppg) on the season and is third in conference only games (17.1 ppg).
 
Beaumont Block Party
Senior Andrew Holifield continues to be one of the most dominating defensive players in the Southland Conference. He is currently tied for second in the league averaging 1.9 blocks per game. He has blocked at least three shots in a game eight times this season. The Beaumont native is fifth all-time in school history and needs only three more swats to reach 100 for his career.
 
Cleaning the Glass
Saturday marked the 16th time that Lamar has beat an opponent on the glass this season. The Cardinals are currently second in the league in rebounds (37.8 rpg), second in offensive rebounds (13.3) and second in rebound margin (+4.9). LU leads the league in offense rebounds and rebound margin in SLC only games.
 
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 Cardinals 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 also 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 Team selections, two freshmen of the year and a defensive player of the year.