LAKE CHARLES, La. — The Lamar University men’s basketball team lost to McNeese State University, 75-64, Jan. 18, at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles, La.
Cardinal guard Alexis Marmolejos scored a game-high 20 points and brought down five rebounds. He was joined in double figures by forward Andrew Holifield who scored 11 and guard Cody Pennebaker with 10.
The Cardinals kept it close throughout the game against the No. 1 team in the Southland Conference. Lamar opened the scoring with a Marmolejos three, but the Cowboys responded immediately with nine unanswered points.
Lamar attacked from the line and tied the game at the 11th minute. The Cowboys kept building up the lead, but the Cardinals trimmed it down to just two with six minutes remaining in the half but unfortunately could not close the gap, going into the real down 24-35.
“They're the best team in the league,” LU head coach Alvin Brooks said. “We made a number of mistakes that they capitalized on, and you can't do that against good teams. We started off conference really well, we won at Corpus and UTRGV. At home last week we didn't quite play to our identity, which is how hard we defend and how we rebound the basketball and take care of the ball.”
LU shot 45 percent from the three-point line during the first half but unfortunately slowed down in the second shooting only 25 percent from behind the arc. The game remained a three or four possession game until Ja’Sean Jackson scored two free throws to bring the game to just five points, but LU could not get any closer than that.
Despite the loss Lamar outshot McNeese with 22-of-46 from the field and led in fast-break points with six compared to McNeese’s zero. The Cardinals also outrebounded the Cowboys, 34-32, including 10 offensive rebounds.
“I thought that even in this loss our guys proved to themselves that we can compete and win against McNeese,” Brooks said. “Offensively, we didn't quite play the kind of basketball that we needed to early on, but then we hit some stretches where we got it going. We played with some good speed and got the shots we wanted. And so, I think today, even though in our defeat, we proved that we're capable of winning here.”
The Cardinals are now 10-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play where they sit in fifth place.
LU is set to play East Texas A&M, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. in the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center.