HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Two Southland Conference men’s basketball teams looking to build momentum will meet Monday night when the Southeastern Louisiana Lions host the Incarnate Word Cardinals at the University Center. The matchup features teams with struggling overall records. The visiting Cardinals enter at 10-14, while the home-standing Lions sit at 7-17. Both are coming off contrasting performances in their most recent outings. Incarnate Word fell 81-64 at McNeese State on Saturday, while Southeastern Louisiana secured a 55-47 home victory over Houston Christian the same day. A key player to watch for the Cardinals is guard Tahj Staveskie, who has been a consistent offensive force. He scored 19 points in the loss to McNeese State and is averaging 17.4 points over his last eight games, including a 25-point performance against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Jan. 24. His ability to create shots will be central to UIW’s attack. The Lions counter with forward Isaiah Gaines, who provides versatile production. In the win over Houston Christian, he filled the stat sheet with 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and a block. Over his last eight games, Gaines has averaged 12.5 points and has been a defensive presence, recording multiple blocks in five of those contests. This will be the second meeting between the teams this season. Incarnate Word won the first matchup 79-70 in San Antonio on Dec. 30, 2025. The Cardinals will aim for a regular-season sweep, while the Lions seek to defend their home court and even the series. Following this game, Incarnate Word will host Nicholls State next Saturday. Southeastern Louisiana hits the road for a game at Northwestern State next Saturday. Monday’s tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST.