What would be more alarming, losing 10 of the past 11 games or being in danger of missing a conference tournament?

It’s anyone’s guess, but the Lamar Cardinals are faced with finding just one solution to both alarming problems with six regular-season games left. Although the situation is dire, there’s no panic in their world.

“We don’t panic at all,” senior guard Quan Jones said. “We just try to have the gameplan ready for the next game. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. We always fight to the end, no matter what.”

That, the Cardinals (10-14, 2-10 Southland) have done more often than not this season, but it’s also been often they’ve had to climb back from early double-digit holes.

They lost by four or fewer points for the third consecutive game in Monday’s 71-67 home defeat to Abilene Christian. Although the Cards came out firing a lot better than in recent games, they trailed by as many as 13 points midway through the first half.

Two things made the loss really difficult for Lamar: It was the fourth straight in the Montagne Center and fifth in the past six home games. And it pushed the Cards 1½ games behind next-to-last place Nicholls State.

Of the 13 Southland teams, fourth-place Incarnate Word, sixth-place Abilene Christian (both provisional Division I members) and co-seventh place Central Arkansas (poor Academic Progress Rate) are not eligible for postseason play and only eight would qualify for next month’s conference tournament in Katy. That would mean Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Houston Baptist, Sam Houston State, New Orleans, McNeese State and Southeastern Louisiana — in order of seeding — would advance with Northwestern State and Nicholls State tied for eighth.

More immediately, Lamar is dealing with a seven-game losing streak. Coach Tic Price was asked after Monday loss if the recent woes wore on him and his team.

“It’s frustrating for us all when you lose,” he calmly said, moments after he gave shorter-than-usual opening comments.

“But, you know, it’s amazing,” he continued. “When you come to our practice, you wouldn’t know we had a losing streak because guys are very positive and upbeat and encourage each other. But it takes a lot out of you.”

Lamar has improved on defense after allowing 80 or more points in seven straight games. The past three opponents have not scored more than 74, and Lamar is first among Southland teams in three-point shooting defense at 32.4 percent allowed. Teams make 43.1 percent from the floor against the Cards, ranking them fourth in the conference.

But the Cards are one of the coldest teams from the field as well, ranking 10th at 41.0 percent. Freshman guard Nick Garth (14.7 points per game) is the only Card within the conference’s top 20 in scoring and the only one averaging in double figures.

“It’s tough when shots are not falling, but as long as we’re getting stops and they’re not scoring, we’ll eventually hit shots,” he said.

The next three leading scorers for Lamar — Kevin Booze (8.7 ppg), Dorian Chatman (8.6) and Lincoln Davis (8.1) — are either first- or second-year players. Chatman, a freshman from Port Arthur, dressed out Monday but did not play, and Price called the matter a “coach’s decision” without going into specifics. But it did not help the Cards’ bench, which Abilene Christian outscored 28-7.

“That’s just one game,” said Jones, whose 16 points Monday was almost four times his average. “We usually outscore everyone’s bench. We’ve just got to look forward to the next one.”

The good news for the Cards is they’re in the middle of a one-week break to try and solve their problems before visiting Houston Baptist this coming Monday. The bad news is that time isn’t entirely on their side to turn things around.

“I always have to critique myself after every game,” Price said. “We look at tape after every game. We try to come back the next day and be very positive, go back, show tape and the mistakes we made, get back in the gym and back to work. That’s always been the case, win or lose.”