by BEAUMONT, Texas – The huge smile on JaMeisha Edwards’ face told you all you needed to know about how her return to the L:amar Lady Cardinals went on Tuesday night.
Edwards, who was feared lost for the season before it even began, made a triumphant return in a 95-47 win over visiting Huston-Tillotson in a non-conference women’s basketball game at the Montagne Center.
Edwards played just eight minutes, but made those minutes count, finishing with nine points, one rebound and one assist.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be back,” Edwards said after the game. “I’ve been going to class and my internship, but I wanted to get back on the court. This was a special night.”
Lamar coach Robin Harmony was also smiling about Edwards’ return to the lineup.
“It’s nice to have JaMeisha back,” Harmony said. “We wanted to get her in there and get the dust off of her. Her presence means so much to this team.”
Edwards wasn’t the only one contributing to the dominant victory, however, as four Lady Cardinals scored in double figures, with two posting double-doubles.
Caroline Adesulu had 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with a career-high six steals, while Kiandra Bowers added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Addesha Collins had 11 points and a career-high five assists, while Shauna Long (Standing Rock Sioux) added 11 points as the Lady Cardinals scored the most points in Harmony’s two seasons at Lamar.
“Our posts (Adesulu and Bowers) have been playing well,” Harmony said. “I thought we did a good job on defense for most of the game.”
Lamar (2-5) outrebounded Huston-Tillotson (0-4) 56-35. The Lady Cardinals also capitalized on 31 Huston-Tillotson turnovers, as Lamar held a 35-5 advantage in points off of turnovers.
“We’ve won two games in a row, and that should give us some confidence,” Harmony said.
Jasmine Dukes and LaKevia Castillo had 13 points apiece for Huston-Tillotson.
The Lady Cardinals are idle until Dec. 11, when they travel to TCU to open a four-game road swing. Lamar also faces Wright State, Ohio Valley and Rice on that sojourn before hosting Nicholls in the Southland Conference opener at 4 p.m. Jan. 3.
“We have a couple of days off for exams,” Harmony said. “It’s important for us to keep our GPA up. That’s something we stress all the time.”
