Mike James scored 21 points and Lamar closed the game with a 15-4 run to overtake Northwestern State 76-69 in the Southland Conference tournament quarterfinals Wednesday.
Anthony Miles added 16 points, Charlie Harper 14 and Devon Lamb 12 for the third-seeded Cardinals (21-11), who will take a four-game winning streak into the semifinals Thursday night against second-seeded Stephen F. Austin.
Stan Brown grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Lamar's 46-32 edge on the boards.
William Mosley's 22 points and nine rebounds paced the sixth-seeded Demons (16-16). Louis Ellis scored 15 points and Shamir Davis 12.
The Cardinals led 47-35 before the Demons reeled off a 17-1 run to forge a 52-48 advantage with 8:43 to go.
Lamar was still down 65-61 with 3:11 left before its furious finish.
The Cardinals are making their first trip to the conference tournament since the 2007-08 season.
