BEAUMONT — Lamar Cardinals coach Robin Harmony does not feel bad for putting pressure on the team’s two seniors, JaMeisha Edwards and Addesha Collins.
Edwards will be out for another game with an injury leaving Collins the only senior on the court when the Cardinals (6-11, 2-4) take on Stephen F. Austin (7-9, 1-4) at 7 p.m. in Nacogdoches. One trend in Lamar’s favor is the Cardinals are 3-1 on Thursdays.
The Cardinals are on a three-game Southland Conference losing skid after a 73-51 loss to Northwestern State at home last Saturday. Lamar’s last win came on Jan. 7 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 75-70. The Cardinals are 2-4 in January and are yet to record a winning month this season.
It is the longest losing streak of the season for Lamar who is 0-9 on the road.
Collins and the Cardinals are tired of the losing, especially after being selected preseason No. 1 in both the coaches’ and sports information director’s polls.
“It has been really hard,” Collins said. “Nobody likes to lose. I feel like we work so hard in practice and then when the game comes it doesn’t carry over.”
Collins is particularly confused as to why Lamar cannot find a win on the road. The Cardinals points per game average dips by 12.6 points when on the road. Lamar scores 73.6 points at home and 61 as visitors.
“I really don’t know what goes on during road games,” Collins added. “I guess it is just good to have our fans behind us. I really can’t say what is going on this year. We have to pick it up. The conference tournament is on the road so we are going to have to win on the road eventually.”
Collins is second on the team in scoring at 14 points per game. She is averaging 18.5 in SLC play, sixth best in the conference. Collins scored a career-high 26 points in a 69-59 loss at Nicholls State on Jan. 2.
“They are tired of losing,” Harmony said. “We have had a lot of bad luck. When you don’t have JaMeisha and you don’t have Kiandra Bowers, that makes a big difference. Kiandra would be a double-double kid. Everyone is in a different position now.
“It has to be JaMeisha and Addesha leading this team whether it is vocal, skill and they have to have double-doubles each time on the court for us to win.
“That is a lot of pressure on those two seniors but too bad. That is what happens when you are a senior so we are going to keep putting that pressure on Addesha. You see her hustling and working. She never stops. She is the perfect student athlete.”