Lamar sports information

HUNTSVILLE — The Lamar women’s basketball team won its ninth straight contest with an 83-72 victory over Sam Houston State in Southland Conference action. The win was the seventh win in Southland play.

With the win the Cards improve to 14-4 on the season and 7-0 in Southland action. Sam Houston State falls to 9-8 on the season and 4-3 in Southland play.

“We were up 23 points in the fourth quarter and we did not take care of the ball and it was a little disappointing,” remarked head coach Robin Harmony. “In the fourth quarter, Sam Houston State came out and fought back to get back into the game. We came back and earned a hard-fought win, and it is a learning experience.”

The Cardinals had four players in double-figures, led by 29 points by Moe Kinard. Kinard was 12-for-17 shooting from the field. Miya Crump followed with 25 points, Chastadie Barrs had 15 and Briana Laidler scored 12 points rounding out the double-figure scorers.

Barrs led the Cards with 12 steals, which tied her career high in a contest. She also led LU in assists with seven. Barrs recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 steals.

LU shot 42.3 percent in the contest. The 72 points allowed by the Cardinals is the most they have allowed in a Southland contest this season.

Lamar and Sam Houston State came out trading buckets and after a steal by Kinard, she found Barrs for a layup putting LU ahead 7-6 with 6:20 to go in the first quarter. The teams continued to trade buckets and Sam Houston State took a four-point lead, 13-9, over the Cards. LU answered and scored the next five capped by a Barrs three-point play taking a 15-14 lead. LU would take a 19-17 lead after a Crump three but the Bearkats scored the final two points of the quarter and the game was tied at 19-19 after one quarter of play.

The Bearkats stretched its lead to five, 27-22, over the first three minutes of the second quarter. Lamar called a timeout and came out of the timeout and over the next two minutes tied the game at 29-29 after a jumper by Crump. Over the final five minutes of the quarter, LU held the Bearkats to four points while scoring 15 points. A fast break jumper by Kinard put the Cards up by 11, the largest lead of the first half. LU took a 44-33 lead into halftime.

Coming out of halftime, the Cardinals scored the first five points after a Laidler layup and a three by Kinard. After a Bearkats bucket, the Cardinals grew its lead to 20 points after a pair of free throws by Laidler. The Bearkats cut the lead down to 17 but they would not get any closer in the third quarter. A three by Crump put the Cards back on top by 20, 64-44. The lead grew to as many as 23 in the quarter and after a Bearkats jumper, LU led 67-46 after three quarters of play.

Over the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, the Cards held onto a lead of 20 or more points. However, Sam Houston would not go away as they battled back and held the Card scoreless for a couple minute. During the stretch, the Bearkats trimmed the lead down to 13, 73-60, after free throws by Dominique Maxwell. Sam Houston State trimmed the lead to under 10 points, 78-70, after hitting a pair of free throws, with 1:06 left in the contest. LU did not let the Bearkats get any closer and came away with an 83-72 victory over Sam Houston State.

Lamar returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Nicholls. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. LU will be looking for its 38th straight win at home.