Bowers powers Lamar women at New Orleans
Published 12:23 am Friday, February 3, 2017
Lamar sports information
NEW ORLEANS – Kiandra Bowers registered her 11th double-double of the season to lead the Lamar Cardinals to a 66-55 win over the host New Orleans Privateers in a Southland Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night.
Bowers had 14 points and matched her career high with 16 rebounds as the Cardinals (15-5 overall, 8-2 Southland) remained a half-game behind conference co-leaders Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian.
Bowers was one of three players to score in double figures for the Cardinals. Moe Kinard had a game-high 17 points and a career-high four assists, while Chastadie Barrs had 10 points to go along with seven rebounds and game highs of eight assists and six steals.
The Cardinals led 18-12 after one quarter and 37-26 at intermission, but the Privateers (10-10, 5-5) refused to go quietly. The Cardinals led 44-30 early in the third quarter before the Privateers cut the deficit to 52-44 after three quarters and to 52-48 less than two minutes into the final period before the Cardinals put things on ice with an 11-0 run.
Bowers started the run with a jumper in the paint before Baileigh O’Dell drained back-to-back 3-pointers to push the LU lead to 60-48, which for all intents and purposes ended the Privateers’ upset bid.
Defensively, the Cardinals did a tremendous job of shutting down New Orleans guard Randi Brown, who entered the game as the conference’s leading scorer with an average of 21.9 points pregame, was held to just 10 points on Thursday. In two games against the Cardinals this season, Brown averaged 12.5 points per outing, going just 9-of-36 from the field.
The Privateers had trouble with LU’s relentless defense, committing 20 turnovers that led to 19 Cardinal points.
Halie Matthews came off the bench to lead New Orleans with 13 points. O’Dell had nine points off the bench for the Cardinals.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals don’t have much time to savor the win. They returned home immediately following the game to get ready to host archrival McNeese at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Montagne Center. That’s the first game of a doubleheader, with the LU men hosting McNeese at 4:30 p.m.
IT TAKES A THIEF
Barrs now has at least one steal in all 51 career games. Her 213 steals are third on LU’s career list. Barrs entered the game leading the nation with an average of 4.42 steals per game. Her 90 steals this season put her sixth on the LU single-season list.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
With her eight assists, Barrs moved into sixth place on the all-time LU chart with 252 assists. Her 131 assists this season are the 10th-highest single-season total in LU history.
SHE HAS THEIR NUMBER
LU coach Robin Harmony is 6-0 against New Orleans. Harmony is also 6-0 against UIW, her best record vs. any SLC opponent.
STANDINGS
LU and Central Arkansas are both 8-2 in the conference, just behind Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian, who are each 8-1.
ON THE AIR
Saturday’s game vs. McNeese will be broadcast live on KLVI-AM 560. It will also be streamed on ESPN3.
