Dec. 1, 2004

NORMAN, Okla. - The Lamar women's basketball team puts its undefeated record on the line Thursday night as the Lady Cardinals take on the University of Oklahoma at 7 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center.

Thursday's game will be Lamar's (3-0) first-ever meeting with Oklahoma (3-1). The Lady Cardinals are 15-39 against Big 12 teams all-time, while OU sports a 23-9 record against Southland Conference opponents. SLC teams are 1-3 against Big 12 foes this year.

The Lady Cardinals enter their fourth game of the season undefeated for the first time since the 1990-91 Elite Eight team accomplished the feat 14 years ago. LU will carry plenty of momentum after a dominating performance in Monday night's record-setting 72-24 victory over Texas College.

Lamar held the Lady Steers to a dismal 18 percent (9-of-50) from the field for the game, including a 0-of-12 performance from beyond the three-point arc. TC's 24 points ranks as the lowest single-game opponent score in LU history since joining the NCAA in the 1982-83 season.

LU also outrebounded Texas College, 68-26, falling one rebound shy of tying the all-time school record of 69 set on Feb. 7, 1981 against Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette).

LaToya Carson, a sophomore from Long Beach, Mississippi, continues to lead the Lady Cardinals, averaging 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She leads the team in steals (10) and boasts a 63.0 field goal percentage (17-of-27). Junior Audrea Samuel, a native of Beaumont, is the only other Lady Cardinal in double figures with an 11.7 points per game average. She also pulls down 6.3 rebounds per game, while leading the club with four blocked shots.

As a team, Lamar is among the SLC leaders in almost every statistical category. The Lady Cards are averaging 77.7 points and have an average margin of victory of 34.7 points. LU is limiting opponents to 43.0 points per game and a 21.8 field goal percentage. Lamar also dominates the glass with 61.0 rebounds per outing compared to 33.7 by opponents, a difference of 27.3 a game.

Oklahoma enters Thursday's game looking to rebound from a 54-47 loss to Iowa in the championship game of the Junkanoo Jam Lucaya Division last weekend in the Grand Bahamas. The Sooners won their first game of the tournament, knocking off Akron 88-40.

Dionnah Jackson leads the Sooners offensively, averaging 12.5 points. Jackson also leads the club with 19 assists, 17 steals and 5 blocks. She averages 4.0 rebounds and carries a team-high 64.3 field goal percentage (18-of-28) on the year. Erin Higgins and Lauren Shoush are tied for second on the team in scoring as each average 9.5 points. Leah Rush is fourth on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg), but leads the way with 5.5 rebounds per game.

The Lady Cardinals return home for their next contest, hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a 7 p.m. non-conference game on Sunday, Dec. 5 at the Montagne Center.