by BEAUMONT, Texas – After catching people by surprise last season, this year’s version of the Lamar Lady Cardinals is well aware they won’t be able to sneak up on anyone.
Last season, the Lady Cardinals, who were picked to finish near the middle of the pack in the Southland Conference, went on to earn a share of the conference championship, as well as the top seed in the conference tournament. Second-year coach Robin Harmony is hoping for similar success this season.
The Lady Cardinals return four starters from last season’s squad that went 18-13 overall and 13-5 in the Southland Conference. Overall, Lamar brings back seven letter winners from last season’s unit that participated in the WNIT, Lamar’s fourth national postseason tournament in the past five seasons.
Senior guard Shauna Long(Standing Rock Sioux) drained a team-leading 68 3-pointers last season as she averaged 10.5 points per game. Long enters the season fifth on Lamar’s all-time list with 118 treys, but is just 13 behind Danyelle Grimes for third place with 131 and 63 behind Brenda Hatchett’s 181 for second place. Former Southland Conference Player of the Year Jenna Plumley (Otoe, Comanche, Pawnee) holds the Lamar record with 204.
The Lady Cardinals will face a number of tough challenges during the non-conference portion of their schedule, including games at Oklahoma, Wright State, Tulsa and Rice as well as home games against UTSA and the season-opener against Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. Nov. 14.
“Our non-conference schedule gets us ready for Southland play,” Harmony said. “Our new players will certainly get tested early.”
Lamar will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Montagne Center, where the Lady Cardinals have posted a 222-141 record since playing their first game in the arena on Jan. 14, 1985. The anniversary of that first game, a 63-60 win over Nicholls, will be commemorated on Jan. 15, when Southeastern Louisiana comes to town.
