SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team fell to Lamar, 67-45, in Southland Conference hoops action on Wednesday night, inside the McDermott Center. 
 
A night that started by celebrating the career of Des Balentine on Senior Night, concluded with a second-half struggle to get within reach.
 
The Cardinals scored the first six points in the ball game off back-to-back 3s from Logan Bracamonte and Keaston Willis before Lamar responded with an old-fashioned three-point play by Ellis Jefferson to cut the lead in half. The Beaumont Cardinals worked for a 10-9 lead with 15 minutes to play leading into the first media timeout. 
 
Then, Lamar stormed out to a 17-point lead on a 27-6 run over nine minutes of game time and led 32-15 before a jumper by Balentine stopped the Beaumont barrage with six minutes remaining in the half. 
 
LU (5-17, 3-10 SLC) carried a 38-21 lead to the break with Ellis Jefferson leading all scorers with nine points and Kasen Harrison adding eight. UIW struggled to get its offense going with just 25% (6-for-24) FG shooting as Lamar converted on 61.5% (16-for-26) of its shots and outrebounded UIW, 20-9.   
 
UIW (8-10, 5-6 SLC) came back with a strong five-point run to open the second half to get a chance to claw back into the game, but back-to-back layups by Lamar kept the home Cardinals at a double-digit difference for the second half.
 
The Cardinal squads went shot-for-shot over the first ten minutes of the second half until Lamar built a 20-point lead at the 7:45 mark with a loose-ball 3-pointer by Anderson Kopp. 
 
Willis had a quiet 15-point game after just five points in the first half, he scored in spurts in the second half with just 11 shots taken in the game as he went 6-for-11 and cashed in 3-of-4 from deep. Balentine finished with nine points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals to help in any way he could to lead his team. 
 
The visiting Cardinals benefitted from 55% (27-for-49) shooting while three ended in double figures with Harrison leading the way at 18 points, Kopp added 14 and Ellis Jefferson scored 12 in the win. 
 
COACH CUNNINGHAM SAID 
 
"We gotta give Lamar credit, they played really well and made us uncomfortable all game. It just seemed like we were a step behind the whole game, it's tough to have six days off and get back into it." 
 
"Our goals are right in front of us," Cunningham said about the team's chances to clinch a spot in the 2021 Hercules Tires Southland Conference Basketball Tournament, the team's magic number sits at one. "We will find a way to learn from tonight and get better for the next one."
 
LOOKING AHEAD

The Cardinals wrap up the regular season with a three-game stretch beginning on Monday, March 1 at home against New Orleans before traveling to Houston Baptist on Wednesday, March 3 and Abilene Christian on Saturday, March 6 in the season finale.

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