Feb. 15, 2008

BEAUMONT - The Lamar University women's basketball team looks to snap a two game skid Saturday afternoon when they host the Bobcats of Texas State a 4:00 at the Montagne Center.

At 6-3 in SLC play the Lady Cardinals sit atop the East division with a two game lead over McNeese State who sits in the second spot.

Lamar enters the game with a 13-9 overall record and a 6-3 record in Southland Conference play, on the heels of a 69-46 loss at UT Arlington on Thursday night at Texas Hall in Arlington, Texas.

The Lady Cardinals are led by freshman Tamara Abalde, who is averaging team highs with 16.6 points per game along with 7.2 rebounds per game, while junior Nikki Williams is averaging 13.5 points per game and has a team-high 90 assists and 55 steals. Sophomore Brittney Williams is averaging 13.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while senior Aida Bakhos is averaging 7.1 points 6.8 rebounds per game.

As a team the Lady Cardinals are shooting .401 from the field and are averaging 65.5 points per game while allowing 64 points per game. Lamar has also won the battle on the boards this season, out rebounding their opponents 38.5 to 37.6.

Texas State enters the game with a league-best 9-1 record in conference play and a 15-8 overall record. They are coming off a 99-50 win over McNeese State on Thursday night and have won four straight since falling to UTSA.

The Bobcats are led by Joyce Ekworomadu who is averaging 17.1 points per game, while Ashley Cole is averaging 10.8 points per game. Texas State is led in rebounding by Aimee Hilburn who is averaging 5.6 boards per contest.

As a team the Bobcats are averaging a league-best 76.7 points per game, while allowing their opponents to score 64.7 points per contest. They are shooting .426 from the field, while their opponents are connecting on .379 of their shots. They have also won the rebounding battle this year, grabbing 43.8 rebounds to their opponents 37.6.

After Saturday's game the Lady Cards will be back on the road for a two game stretch to Central Arkansas and Northwestern State. They open the week with a 7 p.m. showdown against UCA on Thursday in Conway, Ark.