BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University is tied for third in the Southland Conference standings with five games to go in the regular season. The Cardinals will return to the familiar confines of Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center Thursday to take on Nicholls. The game will start at 6:30 p.m. and be streamed on ESPN+.
PREVIOUSLY
LU (15-9, 12-5 SLC) snapped a two-game skid with a tough 58-52 road win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Hilliard Center.
Kamryn Wilson led the Cardinals with 12 points and was two rebounds away from a double-double. Also shy of a double-double was
Solenne Olenga, who recorded eight points and set a season-high 11 rebounds. LU scored 25 points from the bench, including 10 from
Molly Powell.
AQUA GOING FOR SECOND IN GAME #200
Head coach
Aqua Franklin will be coaching her 200th career game at Lamar. Saturday's win over the Islanders marked the 115th of her career, which ties her for second all-time in program history with Robin Harmony (2014-19). The record for most wins belongs to Larry Tidwell (2007-13), who has 128.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE UPDATE
Both LU and the Ladyjacks trail second-place UT Rio Grande Valley by a game for second place in the conference standings. The Vaqueros will take on first-place McNeese Thursday. A UTRGV loss to the Cowgirls, plus the Cardinals winning over Nicholls Thursday would mean LU would be tied for second with four games remaining.
LAST TIME VS. NICHOLLS
Big Red pulled out a 72-64 road victory over the Colonels back in the most recent meeting. Wilson led the way with a then-career-high 21 points while
R'Mani Taylor (17) and
Taliah Hill (12) combined for 29 points. The Cardinals are 32-19 all-time against the Colonels, with 22 of those wins coming at home.
ABOUT THE COLONELS
The Colonels (12-12, 8-9 SLC) had four players in double figures against UIW, but still came up short 72-66. Nicholls currently holds the eighth seed in the conference standings, despite possessing a top-five offense with 65.3 points per game and a top-five defense (63.1 ppg). Sh'Diamond McKnight, who led the Colonels with 18 against UIW, has been on a tear averaging 14.4 ppg in the last seven games, including 22 against the Islanders.
UP NEXT
LU will have its penultimate home game of the season when it takes on New Orleans Saturday. The ball will be tipped off at 1 p.m. and streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on Newstalk 560 KLVI. It will also be Senior Day for four seniors:
Chisom Oguego,
Alexis Parker,
R'Mani Taylor and
KJ Walker.
