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Lamar vs. SE Louisiana/88-74 LU WINS/COMMENTS

KFDM COOP

By KFDM COOP
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Guest abovetherim

Guest abovetherim

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I heard lots of people on the way out saying they were coming back for thursdays game.Hopefully itll be packed.

I don't work next Thursday so I'll be there. The wife and family must be out celebrating because they aren't answering the home or cell phones. I was told LamarJunior and NewCardinal finally made a basketball game. With a great atmosphere, hopefully I won't have to twist their arms to make another game. 

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KFDM COOP

KFDM COOP

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Sizzling LU shooting tames Lions

By Bob West

The Port Arthur News

BEAUMONT — One needed look no farther than Lamar University’s shooting lines to understand why the Cardinals were able to make it look easier than it probably should have been against Southeastern Louisiana Saturday night at the Montange Center.

On the way to way to an 88-74 thumping of a team whose average defensive yield was 60.3 points per game, the Cardinals shot 62 percent from the field (31-of-50), 61.5 percent on treys (8-of-13) and 78.3 percent at the foul line (18-of-23).

“I didn’t realize we shot it that well until I looked at the stat sheet,†said LU coach Steve Roccaforte. “If you shoot 62 from the floor and almost 62 percent from the three-point line and 78 percent from the free throw line, and shoot 20 or more free throws, especially at home, you are going to win a lot of games.

“A whole lot of games.â€

Winning a whole lot of games is what these Cardinals are starting to do.

The victory over Southeastern, before a crowd announced at 4,550, was their sixth straight, 10th in the last 12 games, boosted their Southland Conference record to 7-1 at the halfway mark of the conference race and lifted their season reading to 13-8.

Southeastern, which came in with an impressive field goal percentage defense of 38.3, dropped to 5-4, 13-9. Rubbing salt in the wound was the fact only three teams had scored more than 73 points in the Lions, with Mississippi State’s 84 the most they had allowed.

Lamar Sanders was the catalyst for the Cardinals, making 9-of-11 shots on the way to scoring a season high 24 points. Sanders, who did most of his damage on the low block, also grabbed seven rebounds and had three assists and two steals.

“I was given the opportunity to do what I do best,†Sanders said of an offensive effort that more than doubled his season scoring average. “I wasn’t looking to be that aggressive, but my teammates felt like I needed the ball and kept getting it to me.â€

Once Sanders softened up the Lions down deep, a lot of other things opened up for the likes of Justin Nabors (19 points, 7-of-10 from the field), Kenny Dawkins (17 points, 3-of-5 treys) and Darren Hopkins (14 points, 3-of-4 three-pointers).

For most of the first half, this one didn’t look anything like a game Lamar was going to win going away. Southeastern, with a bigger, more athletic team than the Cardinals, was able to pound inside with a great deal of success. It led from the first minute until Jay Brown’s second three pointer of the season tied the game at 39 with 1:12 left.

Other than a trey from beyond midcourt by Southeastern’s Dekyron Nicks at the halftime buzzer, it was all Lamar the rest of the way. After making its final three shots of the first half — two of them three balls — the Cardinals drained their first five — two more of them treys — to open the second half.

By the time Hopkins canned the eighth straight field goal, Lamar’s lead was 57-46. The closest the Lions would get the rest of the way was nine points, while the Cardinals stretched their advantage to as many as 18.

It would have been more but Southeastern canned 19-of-19 free throw opportunities, including all 10 in the second half. The Lions, after shooting 45.7 percent from the field in the first half, made only 10-of-27 in the final 20 minutes and finished at 41.9 percent. They were 25 percent on treys, sinking just 3-of-12 treys.

As has been the case so often of late, Lamar’s press took its toll as the game wore on, both in turnovers and opponent fatigue. The Lions, after committing only five turnovers in the opening period, gave it up 10 times after the break.

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