BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will be starting the Southland Conference tournament as the second seed for the second year in a row. The Cardinals' tournament run will commence Wednesday in the semifinals against No. 3 Stephen F. Austin. The game will tip off at 1 p.m. and be streamed on ESPN+.
 
PREVIOUSLY
The Cardinals (20-9) finished the regular season with a 70-52 victory over Southeastern Louisiana at the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. T'Aaliyah Miner and Shaila Forman recorded 11 points while Jacei Denley netted nine and picked up a season-high five steals.
 
AQUA 20 X 4
Aqua Franklin became the first LU head coach to have four straight 20-win seasons. She spent the first three years at LU winning 34 games. Over the last four seasons, Franklin has won 86 games, led LU to back-to-back conference tournament championship game appearances and won the 2024 regular season conference title, where she was also tabbed coach of the year and reached the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament. Earlier this season she also became the second winningest coach in program history.
 
LU TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This will be Lamar's 19th appearance in the conference tournament. Last season, the Cardinals fell in the semifinals to SFA, 61-53. All-time, the Cardinals are 12-17 in the tournament, which includes four trips to the conference championship game and one title (in 2010). 
 
HISTORY AS THE 2-SEED
This will be the Cardinals' fifth time entering the conference tournament as the number two seed. Historically, LU is 1-4 (.200) all-time in tournament play from that spot. The lone victory came in 2011 as the Cardinals defeated Northwestern State, 81-77, in the first round. Since then, the Cardinals have lost four straight games as a number two seed.
 
KAMRYN WILSON: SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Kamryn Wilson was named to the SLC second team after leading the Cardinals in scoring (11.4 ppg) and averaging 3.7 boards per game. She's also made 37 three-pointers. This was her first career all-conference honor.
 
LAST TIME VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
LU fell in a heartbreaking 58-57 loss to the Ladyjacks in Nacogdoches in the last meeting between the two teams. The Cardinals had overcome a 15-point deficit before the final shot and three players - Wilson (14), R'Mani Taylor (12) and Jacei Denley (10) - were in double figures. Big Red is 20-64 all-time against the Ladyjacks.  
 
ABOUT THE LADYJACKS
SFA ended the regular season one game back of the Cardinals and in third place after falling 87-60 at McNeese. The Ladyjacks had three players named to the All-SLC team in Key Roseby (first), Harmanie Dominguez (second), and Aziyah Farrier (defensive). Roseby leads the team in scoring (13.4 ppg) and rebounds. Dominguez is second in the conference in three's made per game (2.84) while Farrier is the SLC top shot blocker with 56.  
 
 
UP NEXT
Should the Cardinals win, they will take on the winner of No. 1 McNeese/No. 4 UT Rio Grande Valley in the conference championship game Thursday. That game will air on ESPNU and tip off is scheduled for 4 p.m.