Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT – The Lamar Cardinals go for their 13th straight win at home this season when they host the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a Southland Conference women’s basketball game at 5:30 p.m. today at the Montagne Center.

The Cardinals (16-5 overall, 9-2 Southland) are 12-0 at home this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 28.2 points per game. In six Southland Conference games at the Montagne Center this year, the Cards have a scoring margin of plus-21.5 points per game.

“Our girls love playing at home, and it shows,” said LU coach Robin Harmony, who has her team just a half-game out of first place entering the week. “It’s hard to come back on us once we build a lead at home.”

The Cards, who enter tonight’s contest on a four-game winning streak, have been getting tremendous play from senior post Kiandra Bowers, the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week. Bowers has had three straight double-doubles, giving her 12 on the season. She had a career-high 30 points in Saturday’s 79-57 victory over McNeese.

“Kiandra is unstoppable,” Harmony said. “We haven’t found anyone in the league who is able to stop her.”

Bowers is averaging 14.6 points and 10.7 rebounds this season. She ranks 16th in the nation in rebounding and tops in the nation in offensive rebounding at 6.0 per game. She is 13th in the nation in field-goal percentage at 60.3 percent. Her numbers are even more impressive in conference play, as she is averaging 15.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per outing while connecting on 65.5 percent of her shots.

Moe Kinard, the previous SLC Player of the Week, continues to lead the Cardinals in scoring with an average of 16.4 points per game. Kinard is averaging 18 points per contest in SLC games.

Defensively, Chastadie Barrs continues to lead the nation in steals per game at 4.52 per contest. The sophomore guard has at least one steal in all 52 games in her career. Barrs also leads the conference in assists with an average of 6.6 per game, good for 14th on the national list.

As a team, the Cardinals lead the nation in steals per game (14.0), turnovers forced (24.76 per game) and turnover margin (plus 9.24). LU is second in offensive rebounding, averaging 19.05 per game.