A Lamar University men’s basketball team desperate for a win hung around with its first-place foe Monday night until the game’s final minutes, but was unable to finish off the upset when it mattered most.
The Cardinals, who used a big rebounding advantage and a balanced offense to keep things close, were eventually outdone by some clutch shooting from Sam Houston during a 77-71 loss to the Bearkats at the Montagne Center in Beaumont.
It’s the sixth straight loss for Lamar, which falls to 2-10 in Southland play and sees its conference-tournament hopes in serious jeopardy.
With the game tied at 62 and three minutes to play, Sam Houston guard Demarkus Lampley hit a 4-point play from beyond the arc to put the Bearkats back ahead for good. Lamar never got any closer as Sam Houston (17-6, 11-1) held on to stay atop the Southland standings.
“Lampley hit some tough shots for them at the end, but like first-place teams do, they won because they were able to wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat,” Lamar coach Tic Price said.
Neither team came out sharp during a sloppy first few minutes. Scoring was at a premium early, but both teams would find their mark offensively as the half progressed.
Unlike his teammates, Sam Houston’s Zach Nutall came out firing with 8 quick points. Nutall entered the night as the second-leading scorer in the Southland at just over 19 points per game.
Lamar’s rhythm came with offensive rebounds and points in transition. The Cardinals held a 25-15 rebounding advantage over Sam Houston in the first half, including nine boards on the offensive end.
Price said Lamar wanted to force the ball down low against Sam Houston’s guard-heavy lineup. Lamar outrebounded Sam Houston, 48-33, for the game.
“With Nutall playing the four, we thought we could use our size advantage in the post,” Price said.
Lamar trailed 34-32 at halftime. The game went back-and-forth from there, with the two teams trading brief leads. Sam Houston threatened multiple times to break the game open, but big contributions from Lamar’s backcourt kept that from happening.
Junior Davion Buster had a team-high 19 points while freshman Kasen Harrison scored 15.
Senior Ellis Jefferson gave the Cardinals an unexpected scoring spark with a career-high 17 points. He also helped slow down Nutall on the other end. Nutall finished with 18 on 7-of-15 shooting after the hot start early.
“I though Ellis played a tremendous game on both ends,” Price said. “It’s never fancy with Ellis, but he finds a way to get it done.”
Still, the Cardinals missed crucial shots in the final minutes. Meanwhile, timely shooting from Lampley and other Bearkats gave Sam Houston enough separation to avoid the upset.
Needing a win, Lamar will travel to Incarnate Word on Wednesday night, looking to snap the long losing streak and keep its slim conference tournament hopes alive.
“We need a win to boost our confidence,” Price said. “This would have been a heck of a win, but we’re not going to quit now.”
Sam snaps streak for LU women
The Lamar University women’s basketball team had a two-game win streak snapped at Sam Houston Monday night, 63-55, in Huntsville.
The Cardinals were kept at arm’s length all game long, only holding a brief lead early. Lamar never found a way to contain Sam Houston guard Faith Cook, who scored 23 points while playing all 40 minutes.
Lamar shot just under 39 percent and was paced by 14 points from junior forward Micaela Wilson. The Cardinals (7-12, 6-5) will be back at the Montagne Center on Wednesday night to host Incarnate Word.
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