The Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball team represents Lamar University in NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. The team plays in the 10,080 seat Montagne Center. The Lady Cardinals currently compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Southland Conference.
History The Lady Cardinals have competed as members of four conferences at the NCAA Division I level. Lamar competed in the Southland Conference beginning in 1983. The Lady Cardinals competed in the American South Conference from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1998, the Lady Cardinals competed as members of the Sun Belt Conference. Lamar returned to the Southland Conference beginning with the 1998–99 season. The Lady Cardinals moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 2021 rejoining the Southland Conference on July 11, 2022 after one year in the WAC.
Al Barbre years In the 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Lamar, under coach Al Barbre, made a run as a tenth seed in the Austin regional. The 1991 Lady Cardinals defeated Texas, LSU and Arkansas before being defeated by Virginia in the Elite Eight. Virginia went on to lose in the National championship game by 3 points.
Larry Tidwell years
Larry Tidwell coached the women's basketball team from 2007 through the end of the 2012-2013 season. Coach Tidwell turned the team around from a struggling program to a perennial power in the Southland Conference. In 2010 the team won the regular season and conference tournament to advance to the 2010 NCAA tournament. The Lady Cardinals made their first ever appearance in the preseason WNIT in the fall of 2010. In the 2011 season, coach Tidwell's Lady Cardinals received their first top 100 RPI ranking (RPI #80) since the figures were made public in the 2005 season. The 2010-2011 squad finished with a record of 25-8 and made an appearance in the 2011 post season WNIT.
Coach Tidwell resigned his position in March, 2013 to take a position at University of Texas-Pan American as head women's basketball coach.
Robin Harmony years
Robin Harmony was named head coach on April 30, 2013 and remained until April 2019. Her first Lady Cardinal team shared the Southland Conference regular season title. The Lady Cardinals also participated in their second WNIT and fourth post season tournament appearance in five seasons. The Lady Cardinals competed in the WBI tournament in 2017. The team won the 2017-18 Southland Conference regular season title repeating as champions in 2018-19. The Lady Cardinals represented the Southland Conference in the Women's National Invitation Tournament for the third and the fourth time.
Coach Harmony resigned her position on April 19, 2019 to become head women's basketball coach for the College of Charleston.
Aqua Franklin years
Aqua Franklin was named head coach on May 1, 2019 becoming the 14th women's basketball head coach in program history. Her 2024 team won the Southland Conference regular season championship. Franklin was named as 2023–24 conference coach of the year.
Year-by-year results
Notes: *1990-1991 wins vacated by the NCAA *The Lady Cardinals competed in the AIAW through 1982. From that point forward, they competed in NCAA Division I.
Source:
Yearly attendance Below is the Lady Cardinals' home attendance since the 2004–05 season. Season Average HighYearly Home Attendance 2022-23 1,089 1,458 2021-22 882 1,512 2020-21 572 1,239 2019-20 1,142 3,856 2018-19 1,992 5,218 2017-18 720 1,297 2016-17 708 921 2015-16 694 888 2014-15 793 997 2013-14 764 891 2012-13 725 1,232 2011-12 1,005 2,427 2010-11 1,555 4,164 2009-10 1,040 1,902 2008-09 393 1,012 2007-08 461 1,187 2006-07 328 1,071 2005-06 359 560 2004-05 383 531
As of the 2022-23 season.
Record single game home attendance for a women's game (9,143) was set in a second-round game of the 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament played in the Montagne Center against the LSU Tigers on March 17, 1991.
Postseason Sources:
NCAA Division I Tournament results The Cardinals have appeared in two NCAA Division I Tournaments, all as Lamar University. Their combined record is 3–2.
Year Seed Round Opponent Result/ScoreNCAA Division I Tournament Results 1991 #10 First RoundSecond RoundSweet SixteenElite Eight #7 Texas#2 LSU#3 Arkansas#1 Virginia W 77–63W 93–73W 91–75L 70–85 2010 #14 First Round #3 West Virginia L 48–58
WNIT results The Cardinals have appeared in four Women's National Invitation Tournaments (WNIT). Their combined record is 0–4.
Year Round Opponent Result/ScoreWNIT Results 2011 First Round Arkansas L 65–91 2014 First Round Southern Mississippi L 50–75 2018 First Round TCU L 68–80 2019 First Round South Alabama L 71–73 2026 Second Round Portland L 68–78
WBI results The Cardinals have appeared in two Women's Basketball Invitational Tournaments (WBI). Their record is 1–2.
Year Round Opponent Result/ScoreWBI Results 2013 First RoundSecond Round PresbyterianSouth Dakota W 70–48L 48–71 2017 First Round Rice L 72–73
Awards and honors Sources:
Western Athletic Conference
Freshman of the Year Akasha Davis, 2021
Southland Conference
Coach of the Year Robin Harmony, 2018
Player of the Year Shawnta Vanzant, 2001 Jenna Plumley, 2010
Defensive Player of the Year Chastadie Barrs, 2016, 2017, 2018
All Conference First Team Kara Audery, 1983, 84 Joy Ommen, 1983 Talla Goudy, 1999 Shawnta Vanzant, 2001 LaToya Carson, 2006 Tamara Abalde, 2008 Jenna Plumley, 2010, 11 Kallis Lloyd, 2011, 12, 13 Gia Ayers, 2014 JaMeisha Edwards, 2015 Chastadie Barrs, 2018 Moe Kinard, 2018 Akasha Davis, 2022
Newcomer of the Year Shawnta Vanzant, 2001 Darika Hill, 2009 Jenna Plumley, 2010 Monique Whitaker, 2011 Moe Kinard, 2017
Freshman of the Year Brittney Williams, 2007 Tamara Abalde, 2008 Kiara Desamours, 2016 Jadyn Pimentel, 2018
All-Conference Defensive Team Kallis Lloyd, 2013 Careen Baylor, 2013 Gia Ayers, 2014 JaMeisha Edwards, 2015 Chastadie Barrs, 2016, 2017, 2018 Kiandra Bowers, 2018
Southland Conference individual record holders Most three-pointers made (season) - Jenna Plumley (100) - 2010 Most three-pointers made (career) - Jenna Plumley (205) - 2007-11 Most three-pointers attempted (season) - Jenna Plumley (298) - 2010 Most three-pointers attempted (career) - Jenna Plumley (869) - 2007-11 Highest three-point goal percentage (game) - Emily Spickler (7-7) - 2009 Highest three-point goal percentage (season) - Emily Spickler (58-118) - 2009 Highest three-point goal percentage (career) - Emily Spickler (100-232) - 2007-09 Highest free throw percentage (career) - Jenna Plumley (234-278) - 2007-11 Most rebounds (game) - Anna Strickland (31) - 2016 Most steals (game) - Neno Anguiano (13) - 2000 (tied) Most steals (season) - Chastadie Barrs (191) - 2018 Most steals (career) - Chastadies Barrs (451)
American South Conference
All-Conference First Team Cassie Brooks, 1988, 1989 Uirannah Jackson, 1990 Brenda Hatchett, 1991 Barbara Hickey, 1991
Newcomer of the Year Cassie Brooks, 1988 Uirannah Jackson, 1989
Coach of the Year Al Barbre, 1988 (shared), 1989 (shared), 1991
Sun Belt Conference
All-Conference First Team Brenda Hatchett, 1992 Barbara Hickey, 1992 Uirannah Jackson, 1992 Travesa Gant, 1994 Lisa McMahon, 1995 Lara Webb, 1996 (Unanimous)
All Tournament Team Lara Webb, 1996
Freshman of the Year Lisa McMahon, 1995 Jwanda Roberson, 1998
Coach of the Year David McKey, 1995
References
External links