Jan. 7, 2005

Lamar vs. Texas State Game Notes
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BEAUMONT - Following an impressive 76-56 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday night, the Lamar women's basketball is set to host Texas State for its Southland Conference home opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Montagne Center.

The Lady Cardinals (7-5, 1-0 SLC) hope to build on the momentum of their league-opening win and improve upon a 6-2 home record. Texas State carries a 4-8 overall mark and a 1-0 league record into Saturday's game, following a 68-44 win against McNeese State on Wednesday night.

Saturday's tilt will be the 19th all-time meeting between Texas State and Lamar, with the Bobcats holding a 15-3 advantage. LU has lost seven straight to Texas State, including both meetings last season. The Lady Cardinals fell 67-82 in San Marcos and 52-54 in Beaumont.

In Lamar's win at SLU, sophomore LaToya Carson exploded for a career-high 25 points and she also pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. Junior Audrea Samuel added 14 points, including a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe, while Megan McDougald chipped in with season-highs of 12 points and eight rebounds.

Carson, a native of Long Beach, Mississippi, continues to lead the team and rank sixth in the league with 13.2 points per game. She ranks first on the team and eighth in the SLC in rebounding (6.3) and has the third-highest field goal percentage (49.2%) in the conference. The 5-9 forward is ninth in the league in steals per game (1.75) and free throw percentage (67.4%).

Carson has scored in double figures in three consecutive games and nine of Lamar's 12 games this season. She has also led the team in scoring and rebounding five times.

Samuel, a Beaumont native, had her second consecutive double-digit scoring performance, which upped her second-ranked scoring average to 10.3 points per game. Her scoring average is 15th in the SLC and she also ranks seventh in the league in blocks per game (1.33). In Thursday's game at SLU, Samuel recorded a pair of blocks and moved into a tie for sixth with Barbara Hickey on Lamar's career blocked list with 61.

As a team, Lamar continues to rank at the head of the SLC in numerous categories. LU currently tops the charts in scoring defense (55.8 ppg), scoring margin (+11.6), field goal percentage (.411), field goal percentage defense (.313), three-point field goal percentage defense (.232), rebounding (51.2), defensive rebounds (33.0) and rebounding margin (+10.4). The Lady Cardinals are also second in scoring (67.4 ppg), three-point field goal percentage (.328), offensive rebounds (18.3) and blocked shots (4.42).

In Texas State's win over McNeese State on Wednesday, senior Tori Talbert led the Bobcats with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Ally Kelly added 15 points and three boards. Talbert, a three-time first-team all-SLC selection, leads the team and the league with 19.7 points per game. She is also among the league leaders in rebounds (8.9) and field goal percentage (48.5%). Tamara Thompson is second on the club in scoring (11.4) and she ranks first with 14 steals. She also averages 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per outing.

The Bobcats average 58.8 points per game, while surrendering 70.7 to opponents. Texas State shoots 37.6 percent from the floor and allows a 43.6 percent clip to opponents.