Jan. 18, 2007

Box Score

BEAUMONT - James Davis scored a game-high 15 points and Lamar Sanders grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds to lead Lamar University to a 62-50 win over Central Arkansas in Southland Conference men's basketball action Thursday night at the Montagne Center.

Lamar, who snapped a two-game losing streak, improved to 8-10 overall and evened its record at 2-2 in SLC play. UCA dropped to 6-12 overall and 1-4 in SLC play. The Cardinals remain at home to host defending SLC champion Northwestern State, who posted a 98-90 overtime win over McNeese State Thursday, Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Sanders' layup at 14:57 broke a 31-31 tie and ignited a 13-2 run that gave Lamar a 44-33 lead with 9:54 remaining in the game. Ray Sansom, playing his most significant minutes of the season, nailed a three-pointer to cap the scoring run. The Cardinals remained in control the rest of the way.

UCA made it interesting, however. Durrell Nevels converted an old-fashioned three-point play with a tip-in and a resulting free throw to pull the Bears within four, 46-42, with 6:04 left in the game. Sanders and Davis both sank a pair of free throws, and Sanders hit a layup that quickly pushed the lead back to 10, 52-42, at 3:57.

Lamar sealed with win by making nine-of-10 shots from the free throw line over the final five minutes. Davis was 6-of-6 at the line, Matthew Barrow was 2-o-2 and Darren Hopkins was 1-of-2.

Davis was just 4-of-12 from the field, but went 7-of-7 from the free throw line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and had two blocked shots. Sanders recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 18 rebounds, which surpassed his previous season-high of 17 in Lamar's win over Northern Illinois.

Sansom, a junior walk-on from Houston, scored a season-high nine points of 4-of-7 shooting from the field, a played a season-high 19 minutes.

Lamar shot 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the field, 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (16-of-24) from the free throw line. The Cardinals outrebounded the Bears 43 to 36, which led to a 12-8 advantage in second change points.

Nevels led UCA with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds and blocked six shots, which tied his season-high for the third time. Frederick Campbell added 10 points. LeMar Phillips came off the bench to score nine points and grab nine rebounds.

UCA shot 32.2 percent (19-of-59) from the field, 10.5 percent (2-of-19) from 3-point range and 90.9 percent (10-of-11) from the free throw line. The Cardinals' defense set new season-lows for points allowed, opponent field goal percentage and opponent 3-point field goal percentage.