LU SOCCER’S COMEBACK SHORT
HAMMOND, La. – A valiant second-half comeback fell just short Friday night as the Lamar University Cardinals dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions in a Southland Conference soccer game.
LU (6-9-0 overall, 2-4-0 Southland) fell behind 3-0 in the first half before making a game of it thanks to two goals by Jordan Mulnix.
“I’m proud of them for the comeback, but we can’t keep falling behind in the first half,” LU coach Orlando Cervantes said. “We had a game plan, but we didn’t follow it until it was too late.”
The Cardinals are now 1-8 when allowing the first goal, and Friday’s first goal happened quickly, as Bri Singh gave the Lions (9-3-1, 4-2-0) a 1-0 lead just 1:45 into the game as she ripped a shot past LU goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy.
Lovejoy made 10 saves for LU.
The Cardinals return home next weekend for their final two games of the season at the LU Soccer Complex. Abilene Christian provides the opposition at 7 p.m. Friday, while Incarnate Word comes in at 1 p.m. Oct. 18.

STATE
HOYER PENCILED IN AS STARTER AGAIN
HOUSTON (AP) — Brian Hoyer has his job back as Houston’s starting quarterback.
Hoyer won the job out of camp but was pulled in the fourth quarter of a season-opening loss to the Chiefs after committing two turnovers. Ryan Mallett has started since then, but he has struggled and Hoyer took over in both of the last two games as the Texans fell to 1-4.
Hoyer replaced Mallett in the second quarter on Thursday night and threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted by Mike Adams with less than 2 minutes left to help seal the Colts’ 27-20 victory.
The Texans have 10 days before they’ll try to get back on track when they travel to Jacksonville on Oct. 18.
Although O’Brien is going with Hoyer against the Jaguars, he wouldn’t commit to anything beyond that.
“It’s 11 one-game seasons so he’s the starter for Jacksonville,” O’Brien said. “I think over the last two games he’s gone in there with a really good attitude, with a calmness about him, with really good mechanics. Has he been perfect? No. But I think that … overall he’s played pretty well.”
ROCKETS’ HOWARD MISSES PRACTICE
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard missed practice Friday with stiffness in his back, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle.
The missed practice comes a day after Howard reportedly told a radio show that he played through a torn MCL and meniscus during the Rockets’ run to the Western Conference finals last spring. Howard did play all five game of the series, which the Golden State Warriors won en route to the NBA championship.
SEFOLOSHA ACQUITTED IN ARREST CASE
NEW YORK — Atlanta Hawks player and former Oklahoma City Thunder star Thabo Sefolosha was found not guilty Friday on charges that he interfered with New York police and resisted arrest during an incident where his leg was broken, ESPN.com reported.
Sefolosha was acquitted after a Manhattan jury deliberated for about an hour, after the report. He was accused of disobeying officers’ orders to leave the area around a club where fellow NBA pro Chris Copeland had been stabbed.
Sefolosha said he hasn’t decided whether to sue the city.