The Lamar Cardinals are advancing to the 2012 Southland Conference Tournament championship game after defeating the second-seed Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, 55-44, in the semifinal round at the Merrell Center in Katy, TX on Thursday.
For the past couple of weeks, the Lamar seniors have been scrutinized because of their head coach Pat Knight's outspoken displeasure with their leadership. But now the conversation has shifted, as the Lamar seniors are leading the Cardinals to the championship game in the Southland Conference tournament, with a chance to represent the league in the NCAA tournament.
Lamar led over Stephen F. Austin 26-19 at halftime and senior guard Anthony Miles finished the game with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Mike James had 14 points, Devon Lamb and Charlie Harper each scored 10 points.
"We just came out and kept it going in the second half," Miles said in the post-game press conference.
Knight said he took the job because of the talent that Lamar had and because he thought it was the best job in the league. On Saturday, Lamar will play the winner of the UT Arlington Mavericks and McNeese State Cowboys to see if it is the best team in the league.
Here is a look at the remaining schedule for the Southland Conference tournament:
Finals: Lamar vs. UT Arlington/McNeese Saturday, March 10 2 p.m.
For updates on the Southland Conference tournament, visit SB Nation Houston and SB Nation Dallas.