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Senior Sabria Dean led Lamar with 19 points (Courtesy photo)
A slow start from the first quarter onward proved to be decisive in the Lamar University women’s basketball team’s quest for their first Southland Conference Tournament championship since 2010. Despite a late rally, the No. 1 seeded Cardinals would come up short to No. 2 seed Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 68-61 on March 14 at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The loss snaps LU’s 14-game winning streak with an overall record of 24-6. The Cards hope to continue postseason play with a possible birth in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).
Senior Sabria Dean and junior Akasha Davis were both selected to the all-tournament team after posting 19 and 17 points, respectively. For Davis, she also grabbed 11 rebounds to mark 19 double-doubles on the season. R’Mani Taylor added seven points and recorded three steals.
For the Cardinals, it wasn’t entirely a great day of shooting as they converted 32.8% from the field, which included four-of-24 from downtown while the Islanders converted 46.8%. AMCC outscored LU in the paint (36-28) and finished with 17 points off turnovers compared to 16 from Big Red.
The Cardinals and Islanders started the game with a 4-4 tie. But the Islanders would go on a 13-2 run that started the trouble for the Cardinals. Big Red did get a pair of threes from Malay McQueen to close the gap to 17-12 despite a 33.3% shooting quarter.
The second quarter proved to be frustrating for LU as combined with turnovers and a defensive pressure by the Islanders, they were held to just three field goals. Two of those field goals came from Dean, including a three that cut the deficit to 27-23. The Islanders would tally four more points to lead 31-23 at the break.
Quiet throughout the first half and looking to get her team back into the game, Davis converted a three-point play to bring LU back to 31-26. But again, the Islanders never let LU back into the game as they increased their margin to double-figures, which they would keep to the end of the quarter 48-36. Once again, it was the case of AMCC hot shooting (55.5%) and LU cold shooting (31.2%) that was a big factor.
Just as it appeared the Islanders were going to run away with the conference title, LU decided it was time to play. Behind 14 combined points from Davis and Dean, the Cardinals found new light as they opened the final quarter on a 13-2 run to trail 52-49 with five-and-a-half minutes to go. But each time LU would get closer, the Islanders had the answer to put more distance between them. All LU could do was get to within 56-52 before the Islanders would make the big shots and free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
It was also the Islanders first SLC Tournament Championship and the program's first-ever birth in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.