LUBBOCK — Lamar University continues its four-games in seven days road trip tonight, and it’s not all that hard to make the case that the 7 p.m. clash against Texas Tech will be the toughest of the four.
For openers, the Red Raiders are off to a 4-0 start that includes victories over a couple of the better Southland Conference teams — Texas A&M; Corpus Christi (66-59) and Northwestern State (94-75). Beyond that, the Red Raiders have three starters and a top reserve back from the team that dropped an 85-79 decision to the Cardinals last December at the Montange Center.
Lamar, meanwhile, comes in at 2-1, after dropping a 74-66 decision at Middle Tennessee State Thursday night. Among other things, the Cardinals were done in by what had been an early strength. They made only 9-of-19 foul shots, after after going 42-of-52 in the first two games.
Six-six sophomore Charlie Harper did all he couldto get the Cardinals over the hump, scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds. Point guard Anthony Miles also delivered a third consecutive solid performance, with 19 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds.
The Cardinals didn’t get much from their inside game, however, as the trio of Lawrence Nwevo (1-for-4), Justin Nabors (3-for-9) and Coy Custer (1-for-3) went a combined 5-for-16 and scored just 14 points.
While Tech has three starters — 6-7 D’walyn Roberts, 6-6 Mike Singletary and 5-11 point guard John Roberson — back from last year’s meeting in Beaumont, along with 6-9, 240 reserve Darko Cohadaravic, Lamar doesn’t have a single player returning who started against the Red Raiders.
Custer played 23 minutes off the bench, scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, and Miles, then a true freshman, logged 8 minutes without scoring.
Both teams fortunes turned for the worst after the Dec. 13 meeting in Beaumont. Tech, which had come to town 7-1, would go 6-17 the rest of the way. Lamar, which improved to 7-3 by beating the Red Raiders, went 8-12 after that triumph to finish 15-15.
Texas Tech’s Pat Knight, after a 13-18 season and a miserable showing in the Big 12 (3-13), is believed to be under big-time heat to win this season. Thanks to a 4-0 start, he’s 26-27 overall after succeeding his dad, Bobby Knight. They expect more in Lubbock and certainly don’t expect to be at the bottom of the Big 12 barrel.
Working in Knight’s favor is a veteran team that has all five starters averaging 8.8 points or better. Singletary leads the way at 17.3 and JC transfer David Tairu weighs in at 13.0. Cohadaravic is avering 9.8 points and 7.8 boards, while Roberts is scoring at a 9.5 clip and Roberson is at 8.8.
Lamar, after facing the Red Raiders, climbs back on a plane to head East. The Cardinals play at Ohio University Monday night, then finish their NBA-type road trip Wednesday at Marshall. — BOB WEST
• Saturday: 7 p.m.
• Where: United Spirit Arena, Lubbock (15,098)
• Records: LU 2-1, TT 4-0
• Series: Tech leads 2-1
• Radio: KVLI (560-AM)
• Probable starters: LU: Anthony Miles 6-1, Soph. (15.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.0 apg); Kendrick Harris 6-1, Jr. (15.7 2.7 rpg); Lawrence Nwevo 6-8, Dr. (6.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg); Justin Nabors 6-6, Sr. (12.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Charlie Harper 6-6, Soph. (10.0 ppg, 10.3rpg). TT: D’walyn Roberts 6-7, Jr. (9.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Mike Singletary 6-6, Jr. (17.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Darko Cohadaravic 6-9, Sr. (9.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg); David Tairu 6-3, Jr. (13.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg); John Roberson 5-11, Jr. (8.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
• LU fast fact: Cardinal point guard Anthony Miles is off to strong start, averaging 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while shooting 56 percent from the field, 45.5 on treys and 72.2 from the foul line.
• TT fast fact: Tech’s 4-0 start includes victories over two Southland Conference teams — Northwestern St. (94-75) and Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi (66-59).
