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Lions show promise in the exhibition loss at Baylor.
WACO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team faced off against No. 2 Baylor University in exhibition action at the Ferrell Center on Thursday night, with the Lions losing to the Lady Bears 127-61.
The game does not count against either team’s record. The Lions begin the regular season on Friday, November 9, at 11:00 am, taking on Colorado State-Pueblo in the first game of the Taj Hospitality Classic at Lubbock Christian.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Ekaterina Zhibareva (Liske, Russia) scored 12 points to lead the Lions in scoring. 11 Lions found the scoresheet, including eight players new to the squad.
– Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) scored seven points, dished out three assists, and snagged two steals.
– Alexus Jones (Aledo) scored nine points, Maddison Glass (Missouri City – Hightower) scored seven points, and Mykiel Burleson (Pflugerville) scored six.
– The Lions shot 38.3 percent (18-of-47) from the floor, including 7-of-19 (36.8 percent) on three-point attempts.
– The Lions’ 61 points scored was more than 25 of Baylor’s regular-season opponents in the 2017-18 season.
– Additionally, based on available records on Baylor’s website, the Lions’ 61 points is the most points scored against the Lady Bears by a college team in an exhibition contest going since the early George W. Bush administration. Emporia State’s 60 points in 2016 are the most listed points in an exhibition game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions faced a drastic size difference in the low post against the Lady Bears but were able to disrupt shots in the post early. Zhibareva’s old-school three-point play with 6:35 left in the first quarter cut an early Baylor lead to 5-3. Burleson drained a three-pointer and Zhibareva scored the Lions’ final seven points of the first quarter. The Lions trailed 32-13 after the opening period.
A&M-Commerce outscored Baylor in the early minutes of the second quarter, cutting the lead all the way down to 13 points at 36-23. Three-pointers by Davis, Jones, and Jocelyn Pierce (Argyle) helped the Lions’ early surge in the period. Baylor took a 56-30 lead into the halftime break.
Baylor exhibited strong shooting prowess throughout the second half, but the Lions still showed glimpses of play that have potential to translate well to the regular season. Zhibareva and Agang Tac (Sachse) made toughly contested buckets in the paint in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) connected on a traditional three-point play and Jones drained a contested three-pointer from the corner. The Lions were undeterred by the size differential, creating multiple free throw opportunities on fouls in the paint.
Kotlik named Academic Player of the Year, five Lions honored with All-Conference accolades.
RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce senior Michelle Kotlik has been named the Lone Star Conference Women’s Soccer Academic Player of the Year. Also, Kotlik was named First Team All-Conference. Sabrina Munguia was named Second Team All-Conference. Karissa Rulander and Caitlin Duty were named Honorable Mention All-Conference. Joining Kotlik on the All-Academic team was Delaney Bunselmeyer. The LSC annual awards banquet on Thursday announced the awards.
Kotlik- a senior from Grapevine- had another stellar season for the Lions, earning her second consecutive special award and her second straight First Team All-LSC award. She is the sixth Lion to receive the Academic Player of the Year award and the second in a row. In addition to shining in the classroom, Kotlik played in and started 16 matches, scoring a career-high six goals, including three game-winners. She also had an assist with 13 shots on goal. She finished sixth in the LSC in points, fifth in goals scored, and fourth in game-winning goals.
Munguia– a senior from Baytown (Sterling)- earns the first All-Conference award of her Lion career. She co-led the team with six goals and also had an assist. Munguia had three game-winning goals. She ranked sixth in the LSC in points, fifth in goals scored, and fourth in game winners and ranked fifth in the league in shots.
Duty- a senior from Crandall- earns her third consecutive All-Conference nod. She finished the season with 90 saves, the second-most in the conference. She also had five shutouts on the season. She played all 1,555 minutes for the Lions.
Rulander- a freshman from Clear Falls- makes her first appearance on the All-Conference team. She played all but 19 minutes of the season. She led the Lions with four assists and ranked sixth in the conference in assists.
Bunselmeyer- a senior from Denton (Guyer)- played in nine matches, tallying an assist and a shot on goal while also leading the Lion defense. It is the first Academic All-LSC award of her career.
2018 LSC WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
SPECIAL AWARDS
Player of the Year: Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M
Academic Player of the Year: Michelle Kotlik, Texas A&M-Commerce
Goalkeeper of the Year: Jazmine Maxwell, Texas Woman’s
Defensive Player of the Year: Cheyenne Orozco, West Texas A&M
Midfielder of the Year: Avery McNeme, Angelo State
Forward of the Year: Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M
Newcomer of the Year: Bailey Bosley, Eastern New Mexico
Freshman of the Year: Jazmine Maxwell, Texas Woman’s
Coach of the Year: Chad Webb, West Texas A&M
FIRST TEAM
| Player | Team | Pos. |
| Imani Morlock | Midwestern State | Defender |
| Maddy Harper | Texas Woman’s | Defender |
| Brittany Jones | Texas Woman’s | Defender |
| Cheyenne Orozco | West Texas A&M | Defender |
| Khadisha Debesette | West Texas A&M | Defender |
| Trenadey Scott | Angelo State | Forward |
| Haley Ward | Texas Woman’s | Forward |
| Hannah Kelley-Lusk | West Texas A&M | Forward |
| Avery McNeme | Angelo State | Midfielder |
| Samantha Fabela | Eastern New Mexico | Midfielder |
| Michelle Kotlik | Texas A&M-Commerce | Midfielder |
| Libby Murphy | Texas Woman’s | Midfielder |
| Hannah Schneider | Texas Woman’s | Midfielder |
| Khadidra Debesette | West Texas A&M | Midfielder |
| Jazmine Maxwell | Texas Woman’s | Goalie |
SECOND TEAM
| Player | Team | Pos. |
| Marissa Berry | Angelo State | Defender |
| Hayden Zuniga | Eastern New Mexico | Defender |
| Allie Chapman | Texas Woman’s | Defender |
| Samantha Silvestre | West Texas A&M | Defender |
| Madison Williams | Midwestern State | Forward |
| Sabrina Munguia | Texas A&M-Commerce | Forward |
| Khaline Jacob | West Texas A&M | Forward |
| Analise Watson | Angelo State | Midfielder |
| Cassandra Moosburger | Angelo State | Midfielder |
| Bailey Bosley | Eastern New Mexico | Midfielder |
| Emma Baley | Midwestern State | Midfielder |
| Mackenzie Taylor | West Texas A&M | Midfielder |
| Jessica Diaz | West Texas A&M | Midfielder |
| Courtney Dippel | West Texas A&M | Goalie |
HONORABLE MENTION
| Player | Team | Pos. |
| Keyara Zuniga | Eastern New Mexico | Defender |
| Sarah Stewart | Midwestern State | Defender |
| Karissa Rulander | Texas A&M-Commerce | Defender |
| Erica Anderson | Texas Woman’s | Defender |
| Senna Garcia | Midwestern State | Midfielder |
| Kira Miller | Angelo State | Goalie |
| Caitlin Duty | Texas A&M-Commerce | Goalie |
| Chenoa Crites | UT Permian Basin | Goalie |
ALL-ACADEMIC
| Player | Team | Pos. |
| Cassandra Moosburger | Angelo State | Midfielder |
| Marissa Brezgiel | Angelo State | Defender |
| Caitlyn Schmidt | Eastern New Mexico | Midfielder |
| Sarah Stewart | Midwestern State | Defender |
| Michelle Kotlik | Texas A&M-Commerce | Midfielder |
| Delaney Bunselmeyer | Texas A&M-Commerce | Defender |
| Courtney Dippel | West Texas A&M | Goalie |
| Hannah Kelley-Lusk | West Texas A&M | Forward |
| Cheyenne Orozco | West Texas A&M | Defender |
| Marlene van Mourik | West Texas A&M | Midfielder |
| Noir Hawash | West Texas A&M | Forward |
Marcuello, Stalder named to LSC Cross Country All-Academic teams.
RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce cross country runners Sergio Marcuello and Brandi Stalder have made the Lone Star Conference All-Academic teams. The teams were released Thursday by the conference office.
Marcuello – a senior from Cuenca, Spain – has raced in two meets this season, including a season-best time of 26:34.8 at the Chile Pepper XC Festival. It is the first Academic All-LSC award of his career. He received the Best In Class honor roll and LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Stalder – a junior from Sanger – has raced in four meets this season, including two top-five finishes. She finished fourth in the East Texas Shootout and placed first in the Angelo State Blue and Gold meet. It is the first Academic All-LSC award of her career. She has been named to the President’s List once, Dean’s List three times, Best in Class List once, Athletics Director’s List three times, and LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times.
Marcuello, Stalder, and the Lion Cross Country teams will compete in the Lone Star Conference championship meets on Saturday. The women’s 6K will begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by the men’s 8K at 10:30 a.m. Both meets will take place on The Range in Canyon.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Runner | Team | Year | Major |
| Nicholas Wittkopp | UT Permian Basin | Sr. | Kinesiology |
| Jarred Elizondo | Tarleton State | Jr. | Engineering |
| Sergio Marcuello | A&M-Commerce | Sr. | Business Administration |
| Michael Anzures | Western New Mexico | So. | Parks, Rec. Leisure and Fitness |
| Steffen Riestenpatt | Cameron | So. | Biology |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Runner of the Year: Nicholas Wittkopp, UT Permian Basin
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Runner | Team | Year | Major |
| Aubrey Watson | West Texas A&M | Jr. | Sports and exercise science |
| Gretzel Jimenez | Tarleton State | Jr. | Physical Therapy |
| Brandi Stalder | A&M-Commerce | Jr. | Environmental Science |
| Mercy Yermo | Midwestern State | So. | Exercise Physiology |
| Jade Guerrero | Texas A&M-Kingsville | Sr. | Environmental Engineering |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Runner of the Year: Aubrey Watson, West Texas A&M
Lions fall 2-0 to Eastern New Mexico in LSC Quarterfinal.
ROCKWALL– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team lost a 2-0 decision against Eastern New Mexico in the quarterfinal round of the LSC Tournament on Wednesday night. The Greyhounds got first and second-half goals in the match.
The loss brings the Lions to 9-8-0 on the season and eliminates them from tournament action. ENMU improves to 8-8-2 and advances to the second round of the tournament.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Both teams had 13 shots in the match. ENMU had seven shots on goal while the Lions had four.
– Sabrina Munguia (Baytown – Sterling) had a shot on goal and also had one go off the post. Karissa Rulander (Clear Falls), Kara Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.) and Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lake Centennial) also had shots on goal. Katie Givens (Rockwall) also had a shot off the post.
– Caitlin Duty had five saves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team had a shot on goal early on as the teams battled for possession of the ball in the first half. The Lions then had consecutive shots on goal in the 23rd and 24th minutes. The shots by Rulander and Munguia were both saved, keeping the match scoreless.
Duty then made a save in the 25th minute and saved another shot in the 28th minute. The Greyhound attack did not subside, however, and a goal was scored by Keyara Zuniga in the 29th minute. Duty made another save in the 38th minute, and the teams went into halftime with ENMU leading 1-0.
Blasingame had an early opportunity with a shot on goal in the 48th minute. The ball was saved, however. ENMU then had an attempt go off the post. The Lions returned the favor as Givens’ shot went off in the 57th minute.
The Greyhounds added to their lead in the 72nd minute with a header goal off of a scramble after a free kick. The Lions had another shot go off the post, this one by Munguia, in the 76th minute. Campuzano then had a shot saved in the 76th minute.
Duty made another save in the 78th minute and again in the 89th minute, but the Lions could not mount a comeback, falling 2-0.
Soccer’s LSC Quarterfinal moved to Rockwall at 7:00 p.m.
COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team has announced a schedule change. Due to rain, tonight’s Lone Star Conference quarterfinal match against Eastern New Mexico will be moved to Kyle Field in Rockwall. The game will be at 7:00 p.m.
The Lions are the fourth seed in the LSC Tournament while ENMU is the fifth seed. The winner of the match will advance to the semifinal round of the LSC Tournament, scheduled to be played in Canyon on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Stay tuned to LionAthletics.com and the Lion Soccer twitter page (Lion_WSOC) for any further updates.
No. 16 Lions close out regular season road slate at UT Permian Basin.
COMMERCE – The No. 16 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team plays its final regular season road game of the 2018 season, traveling to Odessa to take on UT Permian Basin on Saturday.
WHO: Texas A&M University-Commerce at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
WHERE: Odessa, Texas | Ratliff Stadium
WHEN: 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 3
RECORDS: The Lions are 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Lone Star Conference. The Falcons are 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the Lone Star Conference.
RANKINGS: Texas A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 16 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and No. 19 in the D2Football.com Media Poll. UT Permian Basin is unranked.
LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network — KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (http://www.ketr.org)
LIVE VIDEO: https://utpbfalcons.com/watch
LIVE STATS: https://utpbfalcons.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
LIONS HAVE FINAL ROAD TEST OF SEASON
• The Lions head to the Permian Basin for the 10th game of the 2018 season and the final road game of the campaign.
• A win would be the eighth of the season, giving the Lions five straight attacks with eight victories.
• Before the tenure of Colby Carthel, the Lions had never had a run of more than three consecutive seasons with eight wins.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THE FALCONS
• The Lions and Falcons are meeting for the third time overall and second in Odessa.
• The first-ever meeting in 2016 was truncated to a three-quarter game in Odessa with lightning infringing on the contest. The Lions won that game 58-21.
• Last season, the Lions rolled to a 52-0 victory in Commerce.
• Vincent Hobbs has had two touchdown receptions in each of the Lions’ games against UTPB.
SUCCESS IN BUNCHES
• The Lions scored 34 points in the second quarter of the game at Western New Mexico, establishing a school record for points in a quarter.
• The previous record was 32, which the Lions scored in the second quarter of a 39-39 tie against Angelo State in 1991.
CONTINUED RECOGNITION NATIONALLY
• A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 49 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll.
• It is A&M-Commerce’s 55th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.
• In the polls recognized by Division II as the top rating system, the Lions have been known as a nationally ranked team 104 times since joining Division II in 1981.
MOVING UP THE RANKS
• Head coach Colby Carthel now ranks fifth in A&M-Commerce history in coaching wins with 56 wins.
• He is now only seven wins behind Lion and LSC legend J.V. Sikes, who sits in fourth place with 63 wins.
| 1 | Ernest Hawkins | 1964-85 | 132-92-6 |
| 2 | Eddie Vowell | 1986-98 | 74-71-1 |
| 3 | Bob Berry | 1935-41, 46-50 | 72-34-8 |
| 4 | J.V. Sikes | 1954-63 | 63-34-4 |
| 5 | Colby Carthel | 2013-pres. | 56-17 |
| 6 | M.A. Smith | 1951-53 | 30-2-1 |
SENIORS ON PACE TO SET SCHOOL RECORD
• The 2017 senior class established the school record for wins in a four-year period with the victory in the National Championship Game with 42 games won in a four-year span.
• The 2018 seniors now rank second in school history at 40-9 with a guarantee of two more games in the season.
| Years | Record |
| 2014-17 | 42-10 |
| 2015-18 | 40-9 |
| 1951-54 | 36-5-2 |
| 2013-16 | 35-14 |
| 1957-60 | 34-7 |
| 1972-75 | 32-13-1 |
| 1936-39 | 31-8 |
| 1990-93 | 31-16-1 |
MARTINEZ CONTINUES TO CLIMB SCORING CHARTS
• Kicker Kristov Martinez scored 11 kicking points with two field goals and five PATs in the Homecoming win over West Texas A&M, winning LSC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• The graduate student from Edinburg is now 10-for-13 on field goal attempts and 30-for-30 on PAT attempts in 2018,
• He is now 64-of-84 on field goal attempts in his career, which is tied for fourth in Division II history. The Division II career record is 82 made field goals. Second place is 68.
• Martinez is now the record-holder for most career field goals in Lone Star Conference history, eclipsing Sergio Castillo’s 62 career field goals.
• Martinez is the Division II active career leader in made field goals, and fourth in all NCAA divisions behind LSU’s Cole Tracy (89), Toledo’s Jameson Vest (68), and Wisconsin’s Rafael Gaglianone (65).
• Martinez is on the preseason, September, and October watch lists for the Mitchell Award.
• For his career, Martinez has made 213-of-220 PAT attempts and is the Division II active career leader. Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert is the all divisions active career leader with 274 made PATs. Martinez is fourth in all divisions behind Seibert, North Dakota State’s Cam Pederson (223), and Ohio State’s Sean Nuernberger (216).
• In terms of overall scoring, Martinez (405 points) is chasing Castillo (437 points), and former Harlon Hill winner at Texas A&I Johnny Bailey (426 points) for the all-time LSC scoring record.
• Martinez is also the only Division II kicker with 60 or more consecutive PATs made, having made 92 straight PATs.
• A&M-Kingsville’s Julio de la Garza failed on a PAT last week to fall off the list after a streak of more than 100, and Slippery Rock’s Jake Chapla was at 77 straight when he had a kick blocked.
HARRIS AWARD NOMINEE IS TOP TACKLER
• The Lions’ leading tackler in senior Brucks Saathoff is also one of the leaders in the Lone Star Conference.
• The San Antonio native is averaging 8.3 tackles per game through nine contests, ranking 77th nationally and sixth in the LSC.
• For his career, Saathoff has 284 tackles, which is the leading mark for the Lions.
• This ranks Saathoff in the top five in Lion history in tackles, passing Danny Mason in the last two games.
| 1. | Danny Kirk | 1977-80 | 348 |
| 2. | Antonio Wilson | 1996-99 | 348 |
| 3. | Brett Bertrand | 1994-97 | 311 |
| 4. | Jesse Brooks | 1999-2002 | 297 |
| 5. | Brucks Saathoff | 2015-pres. | 284 |
| 6. | Danny Mason | 2009-12 | 280 |
UREVBU’S CAREER GAME PUTS HIM OVER A THOUSAND
• Lion running back Ovie Urevbu had his fifth career 100-yard rushing game and a career-high against West Texas A&M.
• He had 20 carries for 118 yards in the Homecoming contest.
• This total pushed the senior from Plano over 1,000 career rushing yards
• Urevbu now has 1,099 career yards on 173 carries, averaging 6.4 yard-per-carry for his career.
TAKE THAT AND LIKE IT
• The Lion kicking game has been spectacular during the 2018 season.
• A&M-Commerce ranks second nationally in kickoff return defense, as Lion opponents average 11.81 yards per return. Minnesota State is the national leader at 11.56 yards per return
• A&M-Commerce ranks No. 14 nationally in net punting. The Lions average 38.08 yards net per punt.
• Tristan Perry averages 42.3 yards per punt, which is second in the Lone Star Conference and ranks 20th nationally.
RETURN TO SENDER
• Lion defensive back Dominique Ramsey had a key 84-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Homecoming win over WT to seal the victory.
• Ramsey has two interceptions for 127 return yards, averaging 63.5 yards per INT return. This does not include an interception on a two-point conversion attempt in the A&M-Kingsville game, which the NCAA statistics policy does not count as an interception.
• On top of this, Ramsey ranks 21st nationally and first in the LSC in punt return average, averaging 13.4 yards per punt return.
• Between his punt, kickoff, and interception returns, Ramsey has 447 all-purpose yards this season, an average of 49.7 yards per game, ranking fourth on the team.
• He has six plays of over 20 yards this season – three punt returns, two interception returns, and a kickoff return. Two of those plays went for touchdowns.
• His five career interceptions are tied for the team lead with senior Chris Smith.
LIONS RANKED SIXTH IN REGIONAL RANKING
• The regional rankings came out for the second time on Monday, with the Lions ranked sixth in Super Region Four.
• The top seven teams in the region qualify for the playoffs at the end of the regular season, with the field announced on November 11.
• The Lions have been ranked in every regional ranking in the last five seasons.
• In the current configuration of Super Region Four (Lone Star, RMAC, Northern Sun, GNAC), the Lions were ranked seventh in the initial rankings in week one of 2018.
• This is the second season of the current configuration of the region.
Josh Manck
Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce
Office: 903.886.5131
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3011 | Commerce, TX 75429
Connect with us on our Lions’ Den Social Stream.
Marcus Jensen
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce
Office: 903.468.3027
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