Lamar sports information

CORPUS CHRISTI – The Lamar Cardinals aim to end 2017 on a high note as they take on the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at 5 p.m. Saturday in the final game of the calendar year. The contest at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi is the opening game of a Southland Conference basketball doubleheader. The men’s game between LU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is set to start at 7:30 p.m.

The Cardinals (6-5 overall, 1-0 Southland) opened conference play with a 79-51 win at Houston Baptist on Thursday as Chastadie Barrs and Kiandra Bowers had double-doubles, while Baileigh O’Dell poured in a season-high 24 points.

“We played well,” LU coach Robin Harmony said of the win over HBU. “But now we have to get ready for Corpus. They are a tough team, especially at home.”

The Cardinals departed Houston immediately after Thursday’s win, arriving in Corpus Christi a little after midnight.

Barrs had 10 steals in Thursday’s win, as she became LU’s all-time leader in steals with 339. The junior guard, who has at least one steal in all 72 career games, is 20 steals way from the Southland Conference career record of 359 held by Nina Randle of Louisiana-Monroe. Barrs leads the nation in steals, averaging 6.73 per game.

Meanwhile, graduate student Kiandra Bowers continues to climb the ladder on LU’s lists for career points and rebounds. Bowers, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds against HBU for her 27th career double-double, is 12th on LU’s all-time scoring chart with 1,043 points. Carolyn Ford is 11th at 1,056 points. Bowers’ 725 rebounds put her seventh all-time at LU, just two behind Dominique Edwards, who is sixth with 727 boards.

The Islanders (7-5, 0-1) opened their conference slate with a 58-50 home loss to defending champion Central Arkansas on Thursday. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is 5-2 at home this season, but those games have all been played at the cozy on-campus Dugan Wellness Center. Saturday’s game is the first time the Islanders will play at the 8,000-seat American Bank Center this season.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has three players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Brittany Mbamalu, who averages 11.8 points per game.

LU leads the overall series 13-9. The Cards went 2-0 against the Islanders last season, including a 74-63 win at the American Bank Center as LU outscored Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 25-8 in the fourth quarter.

Both of Saturday’s games will air live on KLVI-AM 560, with Harold Mann providing the play-by-play.

LU’s next home game is 7 p.m. Jan. 3, when New Orleans comes to the Montagne Center for a Southland Conference clash. There will be free T-shirts courtesy of Coca-Cola while supplies last. In addition, fans will have the opportunity to win LU merchandise as part of the New Year, New Gear! promotion. The LU freshmen will sign autographs for all fans after the game.