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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Price named LSC Freshman of the Year, five Lions win all-conference honors
ALLEN – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team won multiple honors at the annual Lone Star Conference Championship Banquet on Wednesday.
Jenna Price was named Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year, marking the second time in three seasons a Lion has won the award, and the third time in school history. For the third consecutive year, the Lion’s made the All-Defensive Team with Brianna Wise. Second Team All-LSC went to Artaejah Gay. Also, named to the Third Team All-LSC is Khala Riley. Honorable Mention All-LSC went to Krystal Pickron and Price.
After beginning the season as a non-starter, Price moved into the starting lineup after the fifth game of the year, and she was a rebounding machine for A&M-Commerce. She led the LSC in rebounds with 235 and co-led the conference in rebounding average. She had 18 rebounds against Texas Woman’s University, the single-season high in the LSC this season. She had three of the top 10 rebounding performances on the season and is the only player making that list more than once.
Price led the conference in rebounding average in conference games. She averaged 9.7 points and 9.4 rebounds as a member of the starting lineup and nearly a double-double in conference action with 10.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per conference game. She had seven double-doubles and had ten games with 10 or more rebounds. Her 235 rebounds are tied for 10th most by a player in a season in school history.
Wise, a junior from DeSoto, made 15 starts in her first season at A&M-Commerce and played in all 28 games, averaging the fifth-most minutes on the team. She was one of only three players in the conference to finish in the top 20 in both blocks and steals. Wise led the conference in free throw percentage, hitting 83.9 percent of her shots from the charity stripe. She averaged 10.3 points per game on the offensive side of the ball, twice scoring more than 20 points. She finished the regular season with 36 steals and 20 blocks. This effort is the first All-LSC honor of her career.
Gay, a junior from Cedar Hill, led the team and was sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game. She scored in double figures 20 times, including a career-high 31 points in the Lions’ final regular season game. Gay also had three double-doubles. She was sixth in the conference in field goal percentage and fifth in blocked shots. Her 31 blocks are the seventh most by a player in a single season in school history. Gay moved into the top 10 in field goals made in school history, and she is sixth all-time in blocks. This effort is the second All-LSC honor of her career.
Riley, a senior from Grand Prairie, was a do-it-all player for the Lions this season, filling up the stat sheet in nearly every statistical category. She was thrust into the starting point guard role after injuries affected the starting lineup early in the season for the Lions, and she flourished. Riley finished second in the conference in assists and fourth in free throw attempts. She was also seventh in the conference in steals and finished in the top-16 in both points and rebounds. Riley led the team and was fourth in the conference in minutes played. She finished the regular season averaging 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Riley scored in double figures 17 times and pulled down ten rebounds three times, once going for a double-double. She had five or more assists in 17 different games. Her 129 assists are the seventh most by a player in a single season in school history. This effort is the first All-LSC honor of her career.
Pickron, a senior from Dallas, started all 28 games for the Lions and finished second on the team in scoring and minutes. She scored in double figures 20 times this season and scored 20 or more points five times, including a career-high 25 points against Cameron. Pickron finished the regular season 14th in scoring average, third in free throw attempts and seventh in free throw percentage, 15th in assists and fifth in minutes played. She finished the regular season averaging 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. This effort is the first All-LSC honor of her career.
The Lions are the fourth seed in the LSC Championship after finishing with the second-most wins in school history. They will face fifth-seeded Tarleton State at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Allen Events Center, with the winner advancing to the semifinal round on Saturday. The championship game is Sunday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Men’s basketball drops one spot to No. 6 in NCAA regional rankings
COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team is ranked sixth in the official NCAA South Central Regional Rankings. The South Central Region consists of the Lone Star, Heartland and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences. The NCAA released the third issue of the official rankings Wednesday. The Lions moved down one spot from last week’s rankings after losing to No. 2 UT-Permian Basin and No. 3 West Texas A&M last week.
A&M-Commerce is one of six teams from the LSC in the regional rankings. UT-Permian Basin is ranked second, followed by West Texas A&M in third and Tarleton State in fourth. Cameron is ranked eighth, and A&M-Kingsville is ninth. The tournament champions of the LSC, HC, and RMAC, as well as five at-large teams, will advance to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament, hosted by the team that finishes the season in the No. 1 spot. The regional tournament is set to begin on March 11.
Five of the Lions’ nine losses have come to teams ranked in the top 10 in the region. A&M-Commerce has wins over Tarleton State, WT, Cameron and CSU-Pueblo and two wins over A&M-Kingsville.
A&M-Commerce is currently 18-9 and is the fourth seed in the LSC postseason tournament set to begin Thursday. The Lions will open their postseason facing fifth-seeded Cameron on Friday at 8:30 p.m. The Lions split the season series against the Aggies. All tournament games are at the Allen Events Center. Should the Lions win, they would play at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of the UTPB and Midwestern State matchup on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. The championship game, with an automatic berth into the regional tournament, will be played Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
NCAA DII South Central Region Rankings
as of March 1, 2017
| Pl. | School | DII Record | In-Region |
| 1. | Colorado Mines | 23-3 | 23-3 |
| 2. | UT-Permian Basin | 18-5 | 18-5 |
| 3. | West Texas A&M | 23-7 | 19-7 |
| 4. | Tarleton State | 20-6 | 16-6 |
| 5. | Fort Lewis | 19-5 | 19-5 |
| 6. | A&M-COMMERCE | 16-9 | 15-9 |
| 7. | Colorado State-Pueblo | 19-8 | 19-8 |
| 8. | Cameron | 16-10 | 16-10 |
| 9. | A&M-Kingsville | 17-10 | 17-10 |
| 10. | Regis (Colorado) | 18-8 | 16-8 |
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Women’s basketball falls to No. 8 in NCAA Regional Rankings
COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team is ranked eighth in the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings. The South Central Region consists of the Lone Star, Heartland, and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences. The NCAA released the rankings Wednesday. This report is the third release of the official NCAA rankings this season. The Lions were sixth in last week’s rankings.
A&M-Commerce is one of four teams from the LSC in the rankings. Angelo State is ranked second followed by West Texas A&M in third and Eastern New Mexico in fourth place. In the top spot ranking is Colorado State-Pueblo. The tournament champions of the LSC, HC, and RMAC, as well as five at-large teams, will advance to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament, hosted by the team that finishes the season in the No. 1 spot. The regional tournament is set to begin on March 10.
Four of the Lions’ eight losses have come to the top four teams in the region. However, the Lions have also defeated each of the other ranked LSC teams.
The Lions are currently 20-8, getting a win over UT-Permian Basin on Saturday. This victory is the second highest win total for a Lion team in program history. With 14 conference wins, the Lions also have their highest conference win total in program history. A&M-Commerce is the fourth seed in the LSC postseason tournament set to begin Thursday.
The Lions will open their postseason facing fifth-seeded Tarleton State on Friday at 6 p.m. The Lions swept the season series against the TexAnns. All tournament games are at the Allen Events Center. Should the Lions win, they would play at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of the ENMU vs. A&M-Kingsville matchup on Thursday. The championship game, with an automatic berth into the regional tournament, will be played Sunday at 1:00 pm.
NCAA DII South Central Region Rankings
as of March 1, 2017
| Pl. | School | DII Record | In-Region |
| 1. | Colorado State-Pueblo | 24-2 | 24-2 |
| 2. | Angelo State | 21-4 | 18-4 |
| 3. | West Texas A&M | 21-7 | 18-5 |
| 4. | Eastern New Mexico | 19-6 | 19-6 |
| 5. | Regis (Colorado) | 20-6 | 19-6 |
| 6. | Colorado-Colorado Springs | 20-6 | 20-6 |
| 7. | St. Mary’s (Texas) | 20-6 | 18-6 |
| 8. | A&M-COMMERCE | 18-8 | 18-8 |
| 9. | Colorado Mesa | 19-6 | 19-6 |
| 10. | Fort Lewis | 20-6 | 20-6 |
FOOTBALL
Blue & Gold Spring Game presented by Alliance Bank is Saturday
COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team will host its annual Blue & Gold Spring Game this Saturday, presented by Alliance Bank. The game will kick off at 10:00 am at Memorial Stadium.
The game will be fans’ first look at the Lions as the back-to-back-to-back Lone Star Conference champions defend their 2016 league title.
Gates will open at 9:30 a.m. Before kickoff, fans will have opportunities to take their photo with Lucky, as well as the LSC Championship trophies.
“The Blue & Gold Spring Game will be a great gameday environment for the fans, with plenty of opportunities for fan interaction,” Carthel said. “The Lions will be competing at a high level, and I encourage fans to come get a look at our squad.”
Guest coaches for this year’s Blue & Gold Spring Game are Dr. John Humphreys, Texas A&M University-Commerce Provost, and Dr. Brent Donham, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering.
“We’re excited to have Drs. Humphreys and Donham out here coaching the guys up,” Carthel said. “We’ve had tremendous support from the academic side of our campus, and it will be great for them to experience the joys of coaching Lion Football!”
Humphreys is looking forward to the chance to lead a pack of Lions on the gridiron after his success as an athlete.
“I’m excited for this opportunity to translate my athletic skill from the field of play to the sideline,” Dr. Humphreys said. “I have been drawing up trick plays all week, and Dr. Donham should expect the unexpected!”
Donham also expressed his excitement for the chance to coach the Lions, though his stated strategy may not translate as well.
“I am excited about the opportunity to coach in the Spring Game against Dr. Humphreys,” Dr. Donham stated. “I plan to employ a modified 1-3-1 zone trap that I have run during my years as a basketball coach. We will have to figure out what to do with the other six players on defense, but that should give Dr. Humphreys something to think about as he prepares his team.”
Under Armour Lion merchandise will also be available to order, and this will be the first chance for fans to pick up the initial version of the 2017 Lion Football poster.
Season tickets will be available to purchase as well, and this is a great chance for Lion fans to scope out the best seat in the house for the five home games on the 2017 regular season schedule.
Following the game, fans will have a chance to meet with the coaches and players, with autograph opportunities available.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Albert, Seymore receive All-Lone Star Conference nods
ALLEN– Two Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball players earned all-conference honors at the annual Lone Star Conference Championship Banquet on Wednesday night. Malik Albert was named The First Team All-Lone Star Conference went to Malik Albert. The Third Team All-Lone Star Conference went to Trey Seymore.
Albert, a senior from Detroit, Mich., finished the regular season as the fourth-leading scorer in the conference. He led the conference in steals, capturing 54 and he was the only player in the conference to average more than two steals per game. He scored in double figures in 20 games and scored more than 20 points in 10 different games. His career-high 36-point performance against East Central tied the highest scoring output of any player in the conference this season. He had a double-double with a career-high 12 rebounds against West Texas A&M.
Albert finished third in field goal percentage for players who had at least five makes per game. He was also 17th in assists. He finished the regular season averaging 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. This effort is the first All-LSC honor of his career. This effort is the 68th time in the Lions’ 100-year history that a player has earned First Team honors.
Seymore, a senior from Waterbury, Conn., was the eighth-leading scorer in the conference and the sixth leading distributor. He had the sixth best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference. Seymore led the team in minutes played and was sixth in the conference. He finished the regular season averaging 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Seymore scored in double figures 22 times, with a career-high 26 against Southern Arkansas. He also had seven games with at least five assists, including a 10-assist game as part of a double-double against Arlington Baptist. He was one of only five players to record 10 or more assists in a single game this season. This effort is the first All-LSC honor of his career.
The Lions are the fourth seed in the LSC Championship after finishing with a record of 18-9. They will face fifth-seeded Cameron at 8:30 p.m. on Friday at the Allen Events Center, with the winner advancing to the semifinal round on Saturday. The championship game is Sunday.