BEAUMONT (Interstat) — Lamar defeated visiting Centenary (LA) 122-57 Wednesday at the Montagne Center in a men’s NCAA Division I nondivisional game. The Cardinals improved to 2-1 with the lopsided result, played before an announced attendance of 1,055. Lamar controlled the game from the latter stages of the first half through the closing minutes, pairing a high-powered offense with pressure that turned into easy baskets. Centenary fell behind early and could not keep pace as Lamar’s depth and size produced a decisive advantage.

The decisive stretch came in the first half after Centenary briefly led and later tied the score at 6. Kane Broussard opened the scoring with a 3-pointer for Centenary, but Lamar answered with layups from Dominic Eason. Donnie Haney tied the game at 6 with a 3-pointer, and Lamar took over from there. The Cardinals moved from the tie to a 27-8 lead midway through the half, then stretched the margin to 30-8 on Quante Berry’s 3-pointer. Lamar kept the pressure on with transition baskets and second-chance opportunities, closing the half with a 65-26 lead. Centenary never threatened after the break, and Lamar outscored the visitors 57-31 over the second half to finish the rout. The Cardinals’ advantage grew as large as 59 points late before Centenary closed with a few baskets.

Lamar’s first-half surge included a tip-in by Jeremiah Jones, a layup by Berry, a 3-pointer by Eason, a tip-in by Eason and another layup by Berry that made it 18-6. After Jalen Brown scored for Centenary, Jones hit a 3-pointer, Berry made a 3-pointer and MJ Wardlow connected from deep to push the lead to 27-8. Berry added another 3-pointer, Caden Hinker made two 3-pointers and Eason threw down a dunk as Lamar’s lead reached 35-10. Centenary got a layup and free throw from Haney and a layup from Jalen Brown, but Hinker’s 3-pointers and Agot’s late dunk and alley-oop helped Lamar close the half with a 39-point cushion.

Abeeng Agot led Lamar with 23 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes, hitting from the perimeter and finishing around the rim. Quante Berry also scored 23 points, adding six rebounds and two assists, while Martin Minarovjech recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dominic Eason contributed 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks, and Jeremiah Jones filled the stat sheet with five points, six rebounds and six assists. Caden Hinker added 14 points, five rebounds and one block. Niccolo Moretti added four points, seven rebounds and four assists, Michael Collins had five points, five rebounds and seven assists, Marko Ljubicic scored nine points with three rebounds, and MJ Wardlow finished with three points, five rebounds and five assists. The balanced production underscored Lamar’s ability to generate offense from multiple spots.

Lamar finished with 122 points from 87 possessions and an offensive rating of 140.7. The Cardinals pulled down 33 offensive rebounds, recorded 18 assists, blocked three shots, committed 11 turnovers and were whistled for 18 fouls. They scored 44 points in the paint, 37 points off turnovers and 33 fastbreak points. Centenary (LA) countered with 28 points in the paint, nine points off turnovers and 27 fastbreak points, but the visitors could not match Lamar’s efficiency or work on the offensive glass. Lamar’s ability to extend possessions with offensive rebounds repeatedly led to open looks and foul shots.

The game featured a brief early lead for Centenary when Broussard opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and Haney later tied it at 6 with a 3. From there, Lamar’s defense and rebounding changed the game. Eason converted consecutive layups early, Berry heated up from beyond the arc, and Agot’s late first-half run helped Lamar pull away. Agot made a dunk, a layup and an alley-oop in a late first-half burst, then added more scoring after halftime as the margin continued to grow. Berry made two 3-pointers in the first half and added another early in the second half as Lamar kept its offense rolling.

Lamar’s rotation players kept the offense moving in the second half. Marko Ljubicic scored inside and added a late 3-pointer, Matt Reed contributed a driving layup and free throws, and Filip Radaković made four free throws and a 3-pointer. Centenary got scoring from Jalen Brown, Jaden Braden and Haney in the first half and from Antonio Dixon, Dawson Brown and Ian Malone after the break, but the visitors never trimmed the deficit to a manageable number. The Cardinals’ pressure produced 37 points off turnovers, and their 33 fastbreak points repeatedly turned defense into quick offense. Lamar also held a decisive edge in the paint, where it scored 44 points to Centenary’s 28.

In the second half, Niccolo Moretti opened with a layup, Berry scored again and Hinker made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 72-26. Centenary answered with a Broussard 3-pointer and later got baskets from Dixon, Dawson Brown and Malone, but Lamar’s lead remained comfortable. Agot made a 3-pointer, a jump shot and two free throws during one stretch, and Ljubicic, Reed and Radaković helped finish the scoring. Centenary’s late baskets from Ryan Spears and Jalen Brown trimmed the final margin, but Lamar’s lead was never in doubt after the first-half run.

Lamar will next play at Omaha, then face Rice and Robert Morris in Jacksonville, Florida, before home games against Louisiana-Monroe, Northwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce. The Cardinals moved to 2-1 and will look to carry the offensive rhythm from this game into a busy stretch of the schedule. Centenary (LA) was a non-divisional opponent, and the result gave Lamar its second win of the season. The Cardinals will remain in Beaumont for several upcoming home contests after the road trip, giving them a chance to build on the balanced scoring and rebounding edge they displayed in the win.