TAMUC – Sports

WOMEN’S GOLF

Lion women finish 11th at St. Edward’s Invitational.

AUSTIN – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team wrapped up the St. Edward’s Invitational on Tuesday with an 11th place finish after 36 holes of action.

The Lions improved by four strokes over the first day’s round and completed the event with a total score of 644 (324-320, +84).

Paige-Lee Garris was the Lions’ top finisher, improving by one stroke from Monday to Tuesday. She completed the event in the 23rd place with a score of 157 (79-78, +17). Makena Thomas was one stroke behind Garris, also shooting 78 in Tuesday’s round. She placed 29th with a score of 158 (80-78, +18).

Lauren Leslie was 55th at 165 (83-82, +25), Lauren Bentley was 67th at 168 (82-86, +28), and Lexi Bubenchik placed 69th at 169 (87-82, +29).

The Lions’ 320 in Tuesday’s second round was their lowest team round score in the two spring tournaments so far.

A&M-Commerce returns to action on March 5-6, hosting the Lion Invitational at the Tanglewood Resort on the shores of Lake Texoma in Pottsboro.

St. Edward’s Invitational
Onion Creek GC | Austin, Texas
Par 70, 5802 yards

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	Tarleton State	299	307	606	+46
2.	St. Mary’s	302	306	608	+48
3.	St. Edward’s	311	299	610	+50
4.	West Texas A&M	305	306	611	+51
5.	Rogers State	309	306	615	+55
6.	Central Oklahoma	314	306	620	+60
7.	Arkansas Tech	319	304	623	+63
8.	Illinois-Springfield	319	315	634	+74
9.	Oklahoma Christian	321	319	640	+80
10.	Regis	320	323	643	+83
11.	A&M-Commerce	324	320	644	+84
12.	Oklahoma Baptist	326	319	645	+85
13.	Western New Mexico	331	318	649	+89
14.	Lubbock Christian	335	325	660	+100
15.	Drury	348	331	679	+119
16.	Hawai’i-Hilo	374	383	757	+197

A&M-Commerce	324	320	644	+84	11th
Paige-Lee Garris	79	78	157	+17	t-23rd
Makena Thomas	80	78	158	+18	t-29th
Lauren Leslie	83	82	165	+25	t-55th
Lauren Bentley	82	86	168	+28	t-67th
Lexi Bubenchik	87	82	169	+29	t-69th

SOFTBALL

Weather alters Lion Softball schedule for this week.

COMMERCE – Due to poor weather in Oklahoma and Missouri, the Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team has altered its schedule for the upcoming week. The Lions will now have home games on Sunday and Monday.

They postponed the doubleheader at Central Oklahoma scheduled for Thursday. The two schools will explore options for a re-scheduled date.

The series against Missouri Southern State will now be played on Sunday and Monday in Commerce at the John Cain Family Softball Complex. There will be a doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, followed by a single game at Noon Monday.

For further information on the schedule and any continued changes, please remember to visit LionAthletics.com

Hebler named LSC Hitter of the Week for the second time in three weeks.

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce softball player Kinsie Hebler has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week. The award was announced Tuesday by the conference office. It is the second time in the first three weeks of the season Hebler has won the award.

Hebler– a sophomore from Cypress– was on fire behind the plate for the Lions last week, hitting .714 while facing three previously unbeaten pitchers. She had an on-base percentage of .727 with three walks and slugged 1.286. She swung a double in the first game of the series against Tarleton State. She then had a single, two walks and two RBIs in the second game, driving in the winning run on a sacrifice fly. She then had her best game of the series in the finale, going 3-for-3 with a homer, two singles, two runs scored and an RBI in the Lions’ come-from-behind win. She also pitched in two games and was the winning pitcher in game three against TSU. Hebler is second in the LSC in batting average, third in hits and home runs, fourth in RBIs and second in on-base percentage.

Hebler and the Lions are currently 10-1 on the season after picking up a season sweep over Tarleton State in their conference opener. The team returns to action on Sunday for a three-game home series against Missouri Southern State. Sunday’s doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m. with a single game to be played Monday at Noon. All games will be at the John Cain Family Softball Field.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Hitter
Feb. 6 – Kinsie Hebler, A&M-Commerce
Feb. 13 – Kourtney Coveney, West Texas A&M
Feb. 20 – Kinsie Hebler, A&M-Commerce (2)

Pitcher
Feb. 6 – Emily Otto, A&M-Commerce
Feb. 13 – Jordan Withrow, Tarleton State
Feb. 20 – Morgan Hill, Angelo State
Bethany Hines, Cameron

 

MEN’S GOLF

McCubbin is runner-up, No. 14 Lions place third at weather-shortened Rattler Invitational.

SAN ANTONIO – The No. 14 Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team finished in third place Tuesday in a weather-abbreviated St. Mary’s Rattler Invitational.

The Lions shot 10-over par 298 in each of the two rounds completed for a 36-hole total of 596 (+20). Henderson State won the event at 590, while St. Mary’s finished second at 591. Tuesday’s action featured the completion of the second round. Due to anticipated incoming rainfall in the third round was canceled.

Lucas McCubbin was the individual runner-up in the event, shooting 2-under par 142 for the tournament, with a pair of 1-under par rounds. He had three birdies and two bogeys on the back nine in the second round after starting with nine consecutive pars. He had seven birdies in the tournament.

Wilfredo Sanchez finished in 15th on the individual leaderboard at 149 (+5). Sanchez shot 2-over par 74 in the opening round with three birdies and had three consecutive birdies in the second round before finishing three-over on the back nine.

Blake Hartford placed 18th at 150 (+6). He improved four strokes from the first round to the second round. He had two eagles in the opening round, then shot 73 with two birdies in the second round.

Zach Burch placed 52nd at 157 (+13), and Nick Louy placed 77th at 163 (+19).

The Lions’ next action comes on March 12-13 in Amarillo at the West Texas A&M Regional Preview. That will start a run of four tournaments in five weeks to close the regular season.

St. Mary’s Rattler Invitational
The Dominion CC | San Antonio, Texas
Par 72, 6892 yards

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	Henderson State	302	288	590	+14
2.	St. Mary’s	303	288	591	+15
3.	A&M-Commerce	298	298	596	+20
4.	Western New Mexico	307	295	602	+26
5.	Oklahoma Christian	301	302	603	+27
6.	St. Edward’s	306	299	605	+29
7.	Midwestern State	316	293	609	+33
8.	Northeastern State	309	301	610	+34
9.	Texas A&M International	311	300	611	+35
10.	West Texas A&M	313	299	612	+36
11.	Cameron	310	303	613	+37
12.	Lubbock Christian	306	311	617	+41
13.	Southwestern Oklahoma St.	312	307	619	+43
14.	Regis	315	305	620	+44
15.	Dallas Baptist	315	307	622	+46
16.	Newman	315	313	628	+52

A&M-Commerce	298	298	596	+20	3rd
Lucas McCubbin	71	71	142	-2	2nd
Wilfredo Sanchez	74	75	149	+5	t-15th
Blake Hartford	77	73	150	+6	t-18th
Zach Burch	76	81	157	+13	t-52nd
Nick Louy	84	79	163	+19	t-77th

 

No. 14 Lion men lead in second round of lightning-delayed Rattler Invitational.

SAN ANTONIO – The No. 14 Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team is in the lead in the midst of the second round in the lightning-suspended St. Mary’s Rattler Invitational.

The Lions held the lead over the field after the first round with a 10-over par 296, and have improved into the second round. A&M-Commerce is 4-under par in scores recorded in the second round, with a six-stroke lead over Henderson State.

Lucas McCubbin and Wilfredo are tied for second on the individual leaderboard at 1-under par. McCubbin shot a 1-under par 71 in the opening round with four birdies. He has nine holes recorded in the second round, with pars on every hole. Sanchez shot 2-over par 74 in the opening round with three birdies and has birdied his last three holes recorded in the second round.

Zach Burch tied for 12th place on the individual leaderboard at 3-over par. He shot a 4-over par 76 in an up-and-down first round with five birdies. Through six holes recorded in the second round, he is 1-over par with a birdie on the ninth hole.

Blake Hartford tied for 23rd at 5-over par. He shot a 77 in the opening round with a pair of eagles on the seventh and ninth holes. Hartford also scored a birdie in that round. He is even par through eight recorded holes in the second round. Nick Louy is tied for 74th at 15-over par through six holes in the second round.

The field completes the lightning-halted second round at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, followed by the final 18 holes of the tournament.

St. Mary’s Rattler Invitational
First Round Completed Scores
The Dominion CC | San Antonio, Texas
Par 72, 6892 yards

Rank	Team	Total	Par
1.	A&M-Commerce	298	+10
2.	Oklahoma Christian	301	+13
3.	Henderson State	302	+14
4.	St. Mary’s	303	+15
5.	Lubbock Christian	306	+18
	St. Edward’s	306	+18
7.	Western New Mexico	307	+19
8.	Northeastern State	309	+21
9.	Cameron	310	+22
10.	Texas A&M International	311	+23
11.	Southwestern Oklahoma St.	312	+24
12.	West Texas A&M	313	+25
13.	Dallas Baptist	315	+27
	Newman	315	+27
	Regis	315	+27
16.	Midwestern State	316	+28

A&M-Commerce	298	+10	1st
Lucas McCubbin	71	-1	t-1st
Wilfredo Sanchez	74	+2	t-6th
Zach Burch	76	+4	t-20th
Blake Hartford	77	+5	t-27th
Nick Louy	84	+12	81st

 

WOMEN’S GOLF

Lion women in 11th place after first round at St. Edward’s Invitational.

AUSTIN – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team is in 11th place after the opening round at the St. Edward’s Invitational, played Monday.

The Lions shot a 44-over par 324 on the par 70, 5,802-yard layout at the Onion Creek Golf Club. It is the first par 70 layout the Lions have played this season.

Paige-Lee Garris is the top Lion through 18 holes with a 9-over par 79. The highlight of her round came when she eagled the par-5 17th hole. She was one of three Lions to eagle that hole and sits in 28th place on the individual leaderboard.

Makena Thomas is one stroke behind Garris in 34th with a 10-over par 80. She also eagled the 17th hole. Lauren Bentley shot a 12-over par 82 and is in 52nd place. She birdied the 3rd and 12th holes.

Lauren Leslie eagled the 17th hole on the way to a 13-over par 83, which puts her in 55th place. Lexi Bubenchik is in 73rd place with a 17-over par 87.

The event concludes with 18 holes on Tuesday.

St. Edward’s Invitational
Onion Creek GC | Austin, Texas
Par 70, 5802 yards

Rank	Team	Total	Par
1.	Tarleton State	299	+19
2.	St. Mary’s	302	+22
3.	West Texas A&M	305	+25
4.	Rogers State	309	+29
5.	St. Edward’s	311	+31
6.	Central Oklahoma	314	+34
7.	Arkansas Tech	319	+39
	Illinois-Springfield	319	+39
9.	Regis	320	+40
10.	Oklahoma Christian	321	+41
11.	A&M-Commerce	324	+44
12.	Oklahoma Baptist	326	+46
13.	Western New Mexico	331	+51
14.	Lubbock Christian	335	+55
15.	Drury	348	+68
16.	Hawai’i-Hilo	374	+94

A&M-Commerce	324	+44	11th
Paige-Lee Garris	79	+9	t-28th
Makena Thomas	80	+10	t-34th
Lauren Bentley	82	+12	t-52nd
Lauren Leslie	83	+13	t-55th
Lexi Bubenchik	87	+17	t-73rd

 

SOFTBALL

Lions pull off a big comeback to earn a 6-5 win and sweep LSC series over Tarleton.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team endured a long weather delay and rallied from a five-run deficit to pick up a 6-5 win over Tarleton State, earning a sweep in the opening Lone Star Conference series of the season.

The Lions are now 10-1 overall and 3-0 in the LSC, while the TexAnns are now 12-3 overall and 2-3 in LSC action.

The Lions will remain at the top of the LSC for at least a week, as they are out of conference play next weekend. A&M-Commerce travels to Central Oklahoma for a doubleheader Thursday, followed by a three-game Saturday-Sunday series at Missouri Southern State.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Kinsie Hebler went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and also picked up the win in the circle, allowing one-earned-run in 2.0 innings of relief. She moves her record to 2-0 on the season.
– Ciera Nunez went 2-for-4 on the day with a two-run single.
– Mariah Jameyson smashed the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
– Emily Otto got the start in the circle and eventually earned the save by getting the final two outs with the bases loaded. She allowed three earned runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work.
– Tarleton had eight hits to the Lions six in the game. All of the Tarleton runs came in on home runs.
– A&M-Commerce turned two double plays in the game, both to end innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions threatened first after Nunez drew a leadoff walk and Hebler singled up the middle. A stolen base put two runners in scoring position with one out, but a runner was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice, and a hard-hit ball up the middle was speared by the pitcher to keep the Lions off the board.

Tarleton put up the game’s first run in the top of the second when Georgia Capell hit a leadoff homer to centerfield to give the guests a 1-0 lead. The TexAnns extended their lead to 2-0 with another solo homer with one out in the top of the third.

The game entered a rain delay in the top of the fourth, and after a 4-hour, 39-minute break, Tarleton’s Karli Herron immediately hit a 3-run homer to left-center to give the TexAnns a 5-0 lead.

The Lions cut into the lead with a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth. Vanessa Avina and Jodie Hill drew consecutive walks and advanced to into scoring position on a wild pitch. Nunez smashed a single back off of the pitcher’s glove to bring home both baserunners and narrow the deficit to 5-2.

Hebler opened the bottom of the fifth inning with a monstrous homer down the left-field line, cutting the lead to 5-3. After a strikeout, the Lions drew three straight walks. A runner scored on a passed ball to cut the lead to 5-4, but A&M-Commerce would leave the bases full.

Hebler started the go-ahead rally in the bottom of the sixth by working a one-out walk. Jameyson smashed a homer to the berm in left-center in the next at-bat to give the Lions a 6-5 lead.

The Lions did have to sweat out the seventh inning, as the TexAnns loaded the bases with one out on a single and two walks. Otto re-entered the game and struck out a batter and induced a flyout to end the game

Lions take both ends of LSC-opening doubleheader against previously undefeated Tarleton.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team took both ends of the opening Lone Star Conference doubleheader of the season over Tarleton State, picking up 4-3 and 6-1 victories on Saturday.

The Lions are now 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the LSC, while the TexAnns are now 12-2 overall and 2-2 in LSC action.

The three-game LSC series will wrap up with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– The Lions pounded out 13 hits in the two games, with five extra-base hits.
– Vanessa Avina, Kinsie Hebler, Kimber Neal, and Bri Sims each had two hits on the day.
– Ciera Nunez and Kayla Kilcrease each scored two runs.
– Emily Otto pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out three, and walking only one. Otto now has a 4-0 record for the season.
– Katie Dean picked up her third win of the season in relief in the second game. She allowed one hit in 2.1 innings, striking out two and walking one. Hebler got the start in the game and allowed one run on three hits in 4.2 innings, striking out four, and walking two.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game One)
The Lions got on the board in the second inning, when Sims led off with a double to right-center. She was replaced by pinch-runner Precious Thompson, who promptly stole third and came home on a poor throw, giving the Lions an early 1-0 lead.

Tarleton took the lead in the top of the fourth on a two-out, two-run homer by Tanna Huie on a two-strike count. The long ball was the first homer conceded by Otto in her collegiate career.

The Lions flipped the lead with a pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the fifth. Kilcrease drew a one-out walk and pinch-hitter Vanessa Avina blasted a long homer to the berm in centerfield to put A&M-Commerce up 3-2. It was Avina’s first homer of the season.

A&M-Commerce extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Hebler led off the inning with a double to left field and Sims’ one-out double tacked on the insurance run to plate pinch runner Chloe Horn. The Lions drew two more walks in the inning to load the bases, but all three runners were stranded.

Otto conceded a single with one out in the seventh, and a two-out double put the tying run in scoring position. A Meghann Wrinkle single to center plated one run, but a fly out to right field ended the game with a 4-3 Lion win.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game Two)
Tarleton got on the board first in the top of the second. A leadoff infield single and a hit batsman advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. Marisa Flores singled to left-center and one runner scored, but Higgs rifled a throw to the plate to cut down the second runner and end the half-inning with the TexAnns leading 1-0.

The Lions threatened in the bottom of the fourth before solid Tarleton defensive plays thwarted the scoring opportunities. Jameyson got robbed of a base hit on a sinking liner to left field for the first out. The Lions had runners on first and second with one out, but a hard-hit ball to third converted into an inning-ending double play.

Tarleton loaded the bases in the fifth thanks to two walks and a Lion error, but Dean entered the game with two outs and induced a fly out to end the TexAnn threat.

The Lions got on the board in the fifth inning thanks to some small ball. A single down the line by Neal led the inning off, and infield singles by Hill and Nunez loaded the bases with one out. Chealsea Slider drew a pinch-hit walk to drive home a run and tie the game 1-1. Hebler brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, and an error on a fielder’s choice pushed the insurance run across the plate. The Lions led 3-1 after five innings.

Dean executed the shutdown inning in the top of the sixth, working around a leadoff walk with two strikeouts and a groundout. The Lions continued to push the lead in the bottom of the sixth. A pinch-hit bloop single down the right-field line by Taylor Pruitt scored Thompson from second to make it a 4-1 Lion lead. Hebler drew a bases-loaded walk, followed by a Jameyson RBI single to give the Lions a 6-1 advantage headed to the final inning.

Dean worked around a leadoff Tarleton single to cap the game with the Lions taking both ends of the doubleheader.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

1955 National Champion basketball team to be recognized at February 24 game.

COMMERCE – Recognition of the 1955 East Texas State University men’s basketball takes place at halftime of the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball game on Saturday, February 24.

The 1955 East Texas State Lion Basketball Team won the NAIA Basketball National Championship and was the school’s first-ever national championship team. That team went 29-5, won five games in six days at the National Tournament, and was awarded the James Naismith Trophy as the champion team.

Under legendary Coach Bob Rogers, the Lions defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State 71-54 in the national championship game, with All-American Lion center Jim Miller scoring 27 points on his way to Most Valuable Player in the National Tournament and a member of the All-Tournament Team. Fellow team members Clarence Lynch and All-American Shelby Metcalf were named second Team All-Tournament members.

During their 1955 Championship Season, the Lions averaged 72 points a game while holding their opponents to only 60 points per game. The leading scorer for the Lions was Clarence Lynch with a total of 580 points for the season (17.3 points per game). Teammate Jarrell Logan led the Lions in free throw shooting by making 79% of his shots, and Jim Miller led the team in rebounds with a total of 465 (14 rebounds per game). Miller also scored a total of 524 points (15.4 points per game).

Over the three-year span from 1952-1955, the team won 84% of their games, two Lone Star Conference Titles, three NAIA District Championships, a National Preseason Tournament, and the 1955 National Championship.

In recognition of their accomplishment, honoring the members of the 1955 team will be Saturday, February 24 at halftime of the game against UT Permian Basin. A reception and dedication is 1:00 p.m. in the University Alumni Center. The public is invited to attend and welcome back the men who gave East Texas State/Texas A&M University-Commerce its first National Championship.

 

TRACK AND FIELD

Svaerd’s LSC records highlight Lion performances at final regular season indoor meet.

LUBBOCK – The Texas A&M University-Commerce track and field teams wrapped up the indoor regular season at the Matador Qualifier at Texas Tech on Friday night, establishing a Lone Star Conference record and three school records.

“This week was just about fine tuning,” said Lion Track head coach George Pincock. “We took a smaller group and wanted to give them the opportunity to have one last race in preparation for the LSC Championships. I’m thrilled that they were focused and able to set records. That’s always a great thing for us, but more importantly, it creates momentum heading into the conference championship.”

The evening’s top performance came from freshman Minna Svaerd, who broke the Lone Star Conference record in the women’s pole vault. She cleared the bar at 3.82 meters (12-6 ¼) on her third attempt to set the league record with the nation’s eighth-best mark this season.

Anitial’a Robins broke the school record in the women’s weight throw, winning the event with a distance of 17.79 meters (58-4 ½), which is also a provisional qualifying mark. Hailey Wanoreck had broken her record in the meet just one throw before Robins at 17.49 meters (57-4 ¾).

In the men’s 1,000-meter run, Steeven Martinez set a school record, crossing the line in 2:40.47, besting the previous record by more than nine seconds.

Chase Graham put up a provisional qualifying mark in the men’s weight throw with a distance of 17.55 meters (57-7).

The Lions are next in action at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday and Sunday, February 24 and 25. The meet will be at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center in Lubbock.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Second half surges push Lions to 68-57 win over Texas Woman’s University.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team used a 14-4 run in the third quarter to pull away from Texas Woman’s University on the way to a 68-57 victory in the Field House on Thursday night.

A&M-Commerce moves to 17-9 overall and 13-5 in the Lone Star Conference, while Texas Woman’s University falls to 9-14 overall and 6-11 in league play. The Lions were playing their first game at home after a five-game road swing in conference play.

The Lions are next in action on Thursday, February 22, against West Texas A&M. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Three Lions scored in double figures, led by 18 points from Princess Davis, who also passed out four assists. She moved into sole possession of third place in school history with 289 career assists.
– Brianna Wise scored 16 points to go with four rebounds.
– Artaejah Gay netted 11 points and also pulled down six rebounds.
– Jenna Price scored eight points and had a game-high 14 rebounds, while Melanie Ransom scored seven points and grabbed six boards.
– The Lions capitalized on 25 Pioneer turnovers, converting them into 20 points. It helped A&M-Commerce overcome a 45-38 TWU edge on the boards.
– A&M-Commerce shot 36.9 percent (24-of-65) from the field in the game, with the majority of its points coming inside the paint. The Lions were 2-for-20 from three-point range but scored 36 points in the paint.
– Head coach Jason Burton moves into second place in school history with his 43rd Lone Star Conference victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions got off to a hot start, scoring the first seven points of the opening quarter. Courtney Fields had a layup and also had an assist off of a steal. Davis had two layups and a three-point play to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. The Pioneers got on the board with a three and the Lions led 10-5 midway through the first quarter.

Pierce had a basket, and an assist and Davis hit another basket to give the Lions a double-digit lead with three minutes left in the quarter. A late three from TWU sent the Lions into the second quarter with a 20-13 lead.

An and-one conversion for the Pioneers brought the Lion lead down to six early in the second quarter. The teams traded baskets early in the quarter, and the Lions held a six-point lead at the halfway point of the quarter. The Lions went scored consecutive buckets to bring their lead back up to 10. A bucket by TWU late in the quarter took the Lions into halftime leading 30-22.

Davis led all scorers with nine points in the first half. She also had two assists. Price had six points, and Wise had five points. The Pioneers had 14 turnovers in the first half while the Lions had just seven.

TWU held the Lions scoreless for the first 2:50 of the third quarter, as A&M-Commerce missed its first six field goal attempts of the half. The Pioneers scored nine straight points to open the frame and led 31-30 with 7:30 to play.

A pair of Wise free throws kickstarted a 14-4 Lion run over the next four and a half minutes. Wise scored seven of the 14 points, including a long distance three-pointer to beat the shot clock. A Ransom jumper at the 2:50 mark put the Lions up 44-35. The Pioneers cut that advantage down to five points before the Lions closed the period on a five-point rally to take a 49-39 lead into the final period.

The teams traded scores through the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, and the Lions held an eight-point margin before pulling away. Gay converted a three-point play and made two free throws, followed by a Ransom layup and free throw, allowing the Lions to push their lead to 16 points at 65-49 with three minutes left for their largest lead of the game. The Pioneers could get no closer than the final 11-point margin, as the Lions swept the season series between the two schools.