Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT — The Lamar Cardinals ran their home-court winning streak to 26 games with a methodical 71-44 victory over the Northwestern State Lady Demons in a Southland Conference women’s basketball game at the Montagne Center on Wednesday night.

The Cards (16-6 overall, 11-1 Southland) ran their overall winning streak to eight games as they reduced their magic number for clinching a berth in next month’s Southland Conference Tournament to one. LU remained a half-game ahead of Stephen F. Austin for first place in the conference, as SFA defeated visiting McNeese State 73-58 on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals had three players score in double figures, led by Moe Kinard, who had a game-high 21 points. DeA’ngela Mathis scored 13 points in the win, while Jadyn Pimentel finished with 11 points. Kiandra Bowers just missed a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.

The Cardinals started slow, making just two of their first 12 shots, trailing 8-6 with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter before closing out the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 18-12 after the first period.

“I think we played down to their level,” LU coach Robin Harmony said. “We’re not happy with our performance, but we’re glad we got the win.”

Northwestern State (7-16, 2-10) never got any closer the rest of the way. The Cardinals led 37-25 at halftime, boosting that lead to 55-35 after three quarters.

The Cardinals were 25 of 65 (38.5 percent) from the field, including 32 percent (8-of-25) from three-point range. The Cardinals turned the ball over 18 times, but took advantage of 29 Northwestern State turnovers for a 29-6 edge in points off turnovers. The Cardinals also blocked seven shots.

LU’s Chastadie Barrs had nine assists and five steals to go along with her five points. Barrs, who now has a steal in all 83 career games, has 141 steals this season, one shy of the Southland Conference record of 142 she set last year. Her 410 career steals are also a conference record.