BEAUMONT, Texas — From Lamar Athletics
The careers of Chastadie Barrs, DeJa Roberts and Moe Kinard came to an end on Friday night in the Montagne Center as the Lamar University Cardinals were defeated by South Alabama, 73-71 in the first round of the WNIT.
With the loss, the Cards 42 game home court winning streak comes to an end. The winning streak started on Nov. 16, 2016.
Kinard led the Cards with 36 points, as she hit six three-pointers for her third straight contest. Barrs scored 14 points to round out the double-figure scorers for LU. Antoinette Lewis led the Jaguars with 27 points.
In the contest, Barrs recorded five steals, giving her 192 on the season, which sets the NCAA single season steals record, which she tied last season at 191.
Lamar shot 32.4 percent from the floor in the contest, while South Alabama hit 52 percent of its shots in the contest. Lamar scored 22 points off the turnovers well forcing the Jaguars into 22 turnovers in the contest.
Both teams came out trading buckets and with the game tied at 5-5, Kinard scored five straight points on a fast break layup and three pointer putting LU ahead 10-7. LU hung onto the lead and stretched the lead to four, after another Kinard three-pointer. USA came back and tied the game at 17-17 and then took a five-point lead, 20-15. Kinard hit a fast break layup to end the first quarter and LU trailed 20-19 after one quarter of play.
South Alabama stretched the lead to six points, 25-19, after a pair of free throws by Damaya Telamaque. LU slowly chipped away and a layup by Barrs put the Cards ahead 26-25, with 4:50 left in the first half. Lamar continued extended its lead to four points, 31-27, after a layup by Barrs. After the lead shrink to two, 32-30, LU closed out the half by scoring the final four points in the quarter and led 36-30, after one half of play.
Over the first minute and a half of the second half, LU stretched the lead to eight points, after another three by Kinard. After the lead was trimmed down to four, 42-38, Kinard added five straight points growing the lead back to nine, 47-38, with 6:50 left in the third quarter. LU stretched the lead to 11 points, 57-46, after a layup by Angel Hastings. The Jaguars scored the final two points of the quarter and LU led 57-48, after three quarters of play.
Opening the fourth quarter, Shedricka Pierson hit a layup growing the lead to 11, 59-48. South Alabama continued to battle and trimmed the lead down to five, 59-54, after a layup by Lewis. LU stretched the lead to seven, but the Jaguars battled and timed the lead down to three, 62-59, after an Alexis Sykes three.
Big Red continued to hold onto a single possession lead and with 1:57 left in the contest, LU led 68-65, after a Umaja Collins free throw. On the next possession for the Jaguars, Shaforia Sines hit a three tying the game. A minute later, a free throw by Lewis put USA ahead by one. The Red and White battled but could not get the lead back and were defeated by two, 73-71, by South Alabama.