Cameron hoops teams hosting key LSC games

Cameron University women and men will host a vitally-important Lone Star Conference doubleheader this evening against Texas A&M-International.

The CU women open the doubleheader against the Dustdevils at 5:30 p.m. with the men’s game to follow around 7:30 p.m.

The games tonight, as well as games Saturday against Texas A&M-Kingsville and next week against Midwestern are especially important for the CU women who are on the bubble of making the eight-team LSC Tournament with an 8-11 record, which has them tied with UA-Fort Smith.

The A&M-International women are safe in the tournament field with a 13-6 record and they will be a challenge for the Aggies.

“They are good so we need to play well and it would sure help us to have a big, rowdy crowd show up,” CU women’s coach Jeff Mahoney said after his club upset No. 25-ranked UT-Permian Basin Saturday on the road. The Permian Basin crew is well inside the tournament list at 13-3 so Mahoney said that win really gave his club a boost in confidence.

“We just played with a lot of poise,” he said. “This was a great team effort; everyone contributed.”

The CU men are tied for seventh with the team coming to town tonight, both owning 11-8 records so that means tonight’s winner will be in good shape to make the LSC Tournament.

Right behind the Aggies and Dustdevils is UT-Pemian Basin at 10-9 and Oklahoma Christian at 9-10. Both of those teams are facing tough road games this week so if they stumble both the Aggies and Dustdevils could benefit.

The good news for the CU men is that the final two opponents are both down the line in the standings and the Aggies should be favored in those two games but if the Aggies can pull off a big win tonight it would seriously boost their playoff hopes.