Lamar sports information

SAN ANTONIO — Behind the play of Chastadie Barrs and Moe Kinard the Lamar women’s basketball team won its eighth straight game with a 77-51 victory over the University of the Incarnate Word on Wednesday night.

With the win, Lamar improves to 13-4 and 6-0 in Southland Conference play. UIW falls to 1-16 on the season and 1-5 in SLC action.

“This is a really hard place to play and UIW is a good team,” remarked head coach Robin Harmony. “Our kids came out and played for 40 minutes. They had a bunch of energy and every time you play on the road it’s tough to win. We had a nice outcome tonight.”

Barrs led the Cardinals with 23 points, seven steals, and six assists. Kinard followed with 21 points on the night. Jadyn Pimentel rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points. Briana Laidler collected a career-high 13 rebounds. LU shot 39 percent in the contest.

In a back and forth first quarter, LU took a 6-2 lead after a Laidler layup with 8:11 left in the quarter. UIW came back and after a pair of free throws by Gabbi Bowie, UIW led 10-9. UIW grew the lead to 13-9 with 3:48 left in the quarter. Lamar followed with an 11-2 run to close out the quarter. A three-pointer by Angel Hastings put the Cards ahead 18-15. LU led 20-15 after the first 10 minutes of action.

Lamar slowly grew its lead to 10 points, 27-17, after Barrs picked Imani Robinson’s pocket and went for a layup. Later in the quarter, Lamar stretched its lead to 14, 34-30, after Laidler got the offensive rebound and put it back in for a layup. After threes by Ashlan Miles and Kinard, LU extended its lead to 20 points, 40-20. UIW followed by scoring the next eight points before a Miles layup ended the half. Lamar went into halftime leading 42-28.

Over the first three minutes of the second half, Lamar stretched its lead to 18 points, 50-32, after Barrs had an old fashion three-point play. Lamar continued to hold onto a double-figure lead and after a layup by Kinard, LU led 54-37. UIW closed the gap to 14 before Lamar closed the quarter on a 9-1 run that put Lamar ahead by 22 points, 63-41.

LU’s offense cooled off in the fourth quarter as Lamar shot 35 percent in the quarter. After UIW cut the lead to 17, Kinard hit a three-pointer, putting LU back ahead by 20, 66-46. Lamar’s lead did not go below 18 points for the rest of the contest and a steal and layup by Barrs put LU ahead 75-51. Lamar held UIW scoreless the final three minutes of the game and Lamar came away with a 77-51 victory.

The Cards return to action on Saturday when they travel to Huntsville to take on Sam Houston State in SLC action. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. from the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.