Lamar sports information

THIBODAUX, La. – The Lamar Cardinals look to extend their winning streak to a season-best four games as they travel to Thibodaux to meet the Nicholls State Colonels in a Southland Conference women’s basketball game at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The Cardinals (11-6 overall, 6-1 Southland) look to go to 7-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2009-10 season. LU enters the week just a half-game behind conference co-leaders Stephen F. Austin (14-3, 6-0) and Central Arkansas (14-5, 7-1). SFA hosts Central Arkansas in a battle for sole possession of first place on Wednesday.

LU leads the Southland Conference in offense, averaging 75.9 points per game overall and 79.5 points per game in conference play. Moe Kinard leads the Cardinals in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game overall and 17.3 points per outing in Southland Conference play. Chastadie Barrs averages 13.2 ppg for LU, while DeA’ngela Mathis chips in 10.2 points per contest.

Barrs, who was named the Southland Conference player of the week on Monday for her efforts in wins over Incarnate Word and Sam Houston State, leads the nation in steals, averaging 6.71 per game. The junior guard established the conference’s career record for steals during the win over Incarnate Word. Barrs, who has at least one steal in all 78 games of her career, enters Wednesday’s game with 379 steals.

Nicholls (8-10, 3-4) has dropped two straight games since a Jan. 10 win at McNeese. Cassidy Barrios leads the Colonels in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game. Barrios averages a team-best 14.7 points per game against Southland Conference foes.

LU leads the overall series 23-15, but the Cardinals are looking for their first win in Thibodaux since Feb. 12, 2011. LU coach Robin Harmony is 3-2 against Nicholls, with the home team winning each game.

“We know Nicholls is tough at home,” Harmony said. “We had a tough loss there last year. We have to be ready to play.”

Following the game at Nicholls, the Cardinal return to Beaumont for a four-game homestand, their longest of the season. The homestand starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, when McNeese State comes to the Montagne Center. Other games on the homestand are Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. Jan. 31, Stephen F. Austin at 2 p.m. Feb. 3 and Northwestern State at 7 p.m. Feb 7. The SFA game will be highlighted by a halftime ceremony honoring former LU greats Carolyn Ford, Carol Sims and Kalis Loyd.

The Cardinals are 7-0 at home this season, and have won 22 straight games at the Montagne Center dating back to the start of last season.

“We take pride in defending our nest,” Harmony said. “We’ve established a culture of winning at home, and we want that to continue.”