TAMUC – Sports

 

Reggie Reid named LSC Offensive Player of the Week.

RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce senior guard Reggie Reid has been named the Lone Star Conference men’s basketball offensive player of the week for the first week of the season, as announced by the league office Tuesday.

Reid – a senior communication studies major from Harlem, Ga. led the Lions to a 2-0 week to start the season, averaging 16.0 points and 4.0 assists in wins over Oklahoma Christian and Newman. He scored 16 points in each game and passed out four assists in each game. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds per game as the Lions got off to the hot start in the LSC-Heartland Challenge. Reid had previously been named the LSC Preseason Player of the Year.

Reid and the Lions return to action tonight at 7:00 p.m., hosting Our Lady of the Lake in the Field House.

 

 

Lions fall 67-42 to No. 10 Lubbock Christian on the road.

LUBBOCK– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team lost 67-42 to No. 10 Lubbock Christian on the road on Monday. The Lions kept the game relatively close with a run in the early part of the fourth quarter until LCU went on an 11-0 run to end the game.

The loss brings the Lions to 1-2 on the season while LCU improves to 3-0 on the year.

A&M-Commerce will return home on Friday for their home opener. The Lions host St. Edward’s. The game will be at 7:00 p.m. at the Field House.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Chania Wright (DeSoto) led the Lions with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
– Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) scored nine points and had five rebounds and two assists. Davis is now just five points from reaching 1,000 in her career.
– Jocelyn Pierce (Argyle) scored seven points and pulled down five rebounds while Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) had six points and four rebounds.
– Mykiel Burleson (Pflugerville) and Ekaterina Zhibareva (Liske, Russia) both had six rebounds to lead the team.
– The Lions shot 23 percent from the field but shot 38 percent from behind the arc. LCU shot 49 percent in the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After LCU scored the first five points of the game, the Lions got on the board with a three from Davis. Burleson also hit a three in the quarter before LCU finished the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 20-7 lead into the second quarter.

Pierce had two early buckets for the Lions, including a three as A&M-Commerce cut the LCU lead down to single digits early in the second quarter. The teams traded buckets in the quarter throughout, and LCU took a 32-18 lead into halftime.

Davis hit an early three in the third quarter before the Lad Chaps scored 11 in a row to push their lead to 24 points. Wright hit two threes late in the quarter, and LCU took a 49-29 lead into the final period.

Wright hit another three to open up the fourth quarter. The Lions chipped away at the lead with a three-point play from Pierce and a three-pointer from Davis, cutting LCU’s edge to 14 points. LCU finished the contest on an 11-0 run, winning 67-42.

 

Ovie Urevbu named LSC Offensive Player of the Week after two-touchdown, 184-yard performance.

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce running back Ovie Urevbu has been named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The conference office on Monday released the award.

Urevbu– a senior from Plano (Legacy Christian Acad.)– notched his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance last week, powering the Lions to a 41-13 victory over Angelo State in the regular season finale, which clinched a spot in the NCAA playoffs. Urevbu rushed for 184 yards and had touchdown rushes of 35 and 15 yards. Urevbu finished the season ranked third in the league in rushing yards in conference games.

Urevbu and the No. 15 Lions are NCAA Playoff bound for the fourth consecutive year. A&M-Commerce is the sixth seed in the NCAA Division II Super Region 4 and will travel to Duluth, Minn. to face third-seed Minnesota-Duluth. The game will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Malosky Stadium.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE FOOTBALL WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
S-3 Layton Rabb, Midwestern State
S-10 Layton Rabb, Midwestern State (2)
S-17 Vincent Johnson, Midwestern State
S-24 Layton Rabb, Midwestern State (3)
O-1 Duke Carter IV, West Texas A&M
O-8 E.J. Thompson, Texas A&M-Commerce
O-15 Juwan Johnson, Midwestern State
Xavier Turner, Tarleton State
O-22 Xavier Turner, Tarleton State (2)
O-29 Xavier Turner, Tarleton State (3)
N-5 Payne Sullins, Angelo State
N-12 Ovie Urevbu, Texas A&M-Commerce

Defensive
S-3 Hunter Kyle, Angelo State
S-10 Paul Manus, Midwestern State
S-17 Prince Robinson, Tarleton State
S-24 Dante Urrea, Eastern New Mexico
O-1 Chris Hoad, UT Permian Basin
O-8 Brucks Saathoff, Texas A&M-Commerce
O-15 E.J. Speed, Tarleton State
O-22 Noah Sweitzer, Eastern New Mexico
O-29 Jai Edwards, Tarleton State
N-5 Markus Jones, Angelo State
N-12 Paul Manus, Midwestern State (2)

Special Teams
S-3 Kristov Martinez, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-10 Larry Johnson, Angelo State
S-17 Daniel McCants, Tarleton State
S-24 Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce
O-1 Tyler Vargas, Eastern New Mexico
O-8 Kristov Martinez, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
O-15 Reggie Kincade, Texas A&M-Commerce
Larry Johnson, Angelo State (2)
O-22 Connor Flanigan, Angelo State
O-29 Kristov Martinez, Texas A&M-Commerce (3)
N-5 Julio De La Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville
N-12 Prince Robinson, Tarleton State

 

 

LSC Tournament-champion Lions jump to No. 20 in AVCA poll entering NCAA regionals.

LEXINGTON, Ky.– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team jumped to No. 20 in the latest coaches’ poll released by the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association. The Lions jumped two spots from last week’s poll. The Lions, for the 11th consecutive week, are nationally ranked.

The Lions won the Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship last week, the first LSC Championship for the program since 1987. The Lions defeated UT Permian Basin, Texas A&M-Kingsville and hosted Tarleton State on their way to the program’s third LSC Tournament title. The Lions are one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won 21 of their last 22 matches.

A&M-Commerce is one of two Lone Star Conference teams in the rankings. Tarleton State fell from 12th to 13th in this week’s poll. The Lions have faced five different nationally-ranked teams this season and have a record of 5-2 against top-25 ranked teams so far this season.

The No. 20 Lions are the second seed in the NCAA Division II South Central Region and will face seventh-seed Angelo State in the first round of the regional tournament, which will take place in Stephenville. The quarterfinal match will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday at Wisdom Gym. The semifinal round will be on Friday with the regional championship played on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The winner of the South Central Regional Tournament will advance to the Elite Eight.

2018 AVCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll – Nov. 12 (Week 12)

Rk	School (First Place)	Pts.	Record
1	Cal State San Bernardino (35)	1182	26-2
2	Western Washington (10)	1151	25-3
3	Nebraska-Kearney (1)	1092	33-2
4	Minnesota Duluth (2)	1045	27-5
5	Ferris State	964	26-4
6	Northern State	923	26-4
7	Southwest Minnesota State	894	23-8
8	Washburn	777	29-4
9	Concordia-St. Paul	748	22-8
10	Central Missouri	715	25-7
11	Tampa	671	27-4
12	Wheeling Jesuit	616	34-3
13	Tarleton State	568	29-4
14	Cal State L.A.	536	22-5
15	Drury	472	27-6
16	Palm Beach Atlantic	450	27-4
17	Cal Poly Pomona	430	23-5
18	Barry	401	28-3
19	Central Oklahoma	378	27-7
20	Texas A&M-Commerce	358	28-5
21	West Florida	304	26-7
22	Rockhurst	210	30-6
23	Gannon	139	30-2
24	Wingate	122	29-1
25	Lewis	87	25-7

 

Lions enter playoffs ranked 15th in AFCA Coaches’ Poll

WACO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team is ranked No. 15 in this week’s 2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll, as announced by the AFCA on Monday.

The Lions closed out the regular season with a 9-2 overall record and 7-1 Lone Star Conference mark after Saturday’s 41-13 victory over Angelo State. The Lions qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, marking the third-longest active playoff streak in the nation. The Lions visit No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth in the regional quarterfinal round.

In addition to UMD, three Lion opponents from the 2018 regular season are in the top 25. Tarleton moved up one position to No. 6, Colorado State-Pueblo is No. 9, and MSU Texas is now No. 16.

A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 51 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. It is A&M-Commerce’s 57th 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 106 times since joining Division II in 1981.

Kickoff for the Lions’ NCAA Division II regional quarterfinal playoff game in Duluth, Minn., is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 17.

2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll
November 12, 2018

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.
1.	Minnesota St. (29)	11-0	818	1
2.	Ferris St. (Mich.) (3)	11-0	789	2
3.	Valdosta St. (Ga.) (1)	10-0	738	5
4.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	11-0	728	4
5.	Minnesota-Duluth	11-0	682	6
6.	Tarleton	10-0	664	7
7.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	10-1	608	8
8.	West Chester (Pa.)	10-0	559	9
9.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	10-1	539	10
10.	West Georgia	10-1	527	3
11.	Notre Dame (Ohio)	11-0	491	11
12.	Indianapolis (Ind.)	9-1	446	12
13.	LIU-Post (N.Y.)	10-0	410	13
14.	Colorado School of Mines	10-1	395	15
15.	A&M-COMMERCE	9-2	366	14
16.	MSU Texas	8-2	310	16
17.	Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)	10-1	306	17
18.	Northwest Missouri St.	9-2	297	19
19.	Fort Hays St. (Kan.)	9-2	232	22
20.	Kutztown (Pa.)	9-1	214	21
21.	Harding (Ark.)	9-2	186	25
22.	Ohio Dominican	9-2	91	NR
23.	Hillsdale (Mich.)	9-2	68	20
24.	Azusa Pacific (Calif.)	8-3	48	NR
25.	Bowie St. (Md.)	9-2	46	NR

Dropped Out: Central Washington (18), Indiana (Pa.) (23), Tiffin (Ohio) (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Central Washington, 30; New Haven (Conn.), 19; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 18; West Alabama, 18; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 17; Missouri S&T, 16; Tiffin (Ohio), 15; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 12; Virginia Union, 8; Indiana (Pa.), 6; Southern Arkansas, 6; Colorado Mesa, 1; Florida Tech, 1.

 

 

Lions earn the second seed in South Central Region in the second consecutive playoff berth, will face seventh-seed Angelo State.

INDIANAPOLIS– The No. 22 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team earned its second consecutive berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament on Sunday. The Lions are the second seed in the NCAA Division II South Central Region. The Lions earned the Lone Star Conference’s automatic bid with their 3-1 win over Tarleton State in the LSC Tournament Championship, the program’s first tournament championship since 1987. The Lions will face No. 7 seed Angelo State on Thursday. The teams split their matches in the regular season.

The South Central Regional Tournament will take place in Stephenville on the campus of Tarleton State University, the No. 1 seed in the region. The tournament will begin on Nov. 15 and will conclude Nov. 17. A single-elimination tournament, the regional winner, must win three matches in three consecutive days to advance to the Elite Eight, held in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Match times and other details will be released Monday.

This is A&M-Commerce’s fifth NCAA Tournament appearance. In addition to being selected last season, the Lions also made three consecutive appearances from 1986-88. In that 1986 season, the Lions advanced to the Elite Eight round. In 1987 and 1988, A&M-Commerce advanced to the second round. The Lions were eliminated in the first round last season in a five-set match.

A&M-Commerce enters the tournament with a 28-5 record and a 17-3 record in the Lone Star Conference. Their 17 conference wins a program record, and it is the fifth time the team has reached 28 wins or more in a single season.

 

 

A&M-Commerce qualifies for NCAA Division II Playoffs for the fourth straight season; Lions are No. 6 seed and will travel to Minnesota-Duluth.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team has qualified for the NCAA Division II Football Championship for the fourth consecutive season, as announced Sunday evening. The Lions are the sixth seed in Super Region Four and will travel to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the regional quarterfinal round on Saturday, November 17.

The Lions went 8-2 in the regular season and won their last four games. UMD went 11-0 this season, and the Bulldogs are the co-champions of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Kickoff time will be announced later Sunday night.

Other playoff qualifiers in Super Region Four are top seed Minnesota State, second-seed Tarleton hosting seventh-seed Azusa Pacific, and fourth-seed Colorado School of Mines hosting fifth-seed Colorado State-Pueblo. The Lions have the third-longest streak of NCAA Division II playoff appearances in the nation behind Northwest Missouri State, with 15 straight appearances and Ferris State with five.

 

 

LSC CHAMPS: No. 22 Lion Volleyball wins first LSC Tournament title in 31 years with 3-1 win over No. 12 Tarleton.

STEPHENVILLE– The No. 22 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated No. 12 Tarleton State 3-1 in the Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship match on Saturday. The Lions lost the first set but responded with three-set wins in a row to win the conference title. The set scores were 23-25, 25-17, 25-22 and 29-27.

The win brings the Lions to 28-5 on the season. It is their first conference title since 1987 and the third LSC Tournament title in program history. The TexAnns fall to 29-4 on the year.

The Lions receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, the second season in a row the Lions have qualified for NCAA Regional action. They will earn their seeding at the annual NCAA Division II Volleyball selection show, which will take place at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday. A special celebration for the team will take place beginning at 8:30 p.m. inside The Club at the Rayburn Student Center, with the selection show being broadcast live at 9:00 p.m.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions win their third LSC Tournament title and their first since 1987. The Lions had not appeared in the LSC Championship match since the 1994 season.
– Jaryn Wacker (Austin – Vista Ridge) led the team with 16 kills in the game and also had 10 digs. She was named to the All-Tournament team.
– Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) notched her eighth triple-double of the season with 13 kills, 21 assists, and 15 digs. She also had three aces. She was also named to the All-Tournament team.
– Jaslyn Wacker (Austin – Vista Ridge) had 12 kills, three blocks and three aces, including the game-winning ace.
– Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) had 10 kills while hitting .400. She was named the Tournament MVP. Bina Njikam (Keller) had nine kills, hitting .368.
– Rylie Fuentes (Robinson) led the team with 28 assists and added 13 digs. Savannah Rutledge (The Woodlands – College Park) added nine assists and led the team with 26 digs.
– Riley Davidson (Commerce) had 15 digs. Five Lions had double-digit digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

It was an evenly matched slugfest of a first set as the teams traded the first 14 points of the match. The Lions then rattled off four points in a row to take an 11-7 lead. TSU then went on two mini-runs to once again tie the set at 14. The teams traded 3-0 runs before TSU pushed its lead to 24-21. The Lions attempted to battle back but could not overcome the deficit, falling 25-23.

The teams traded runs early in the second set. The Lions scored four in a row, followed by three in a row for TSU. The match was tied at 10. The Lions then started to exert themselves, winning four points in a row to take the lead. TSU attempted a late comeback, but the Lions would have nothing of it, scoring six of the final eight points of the set to win 25-17.

TSU took an early lead in the third set before the Lions battled back to tie the match at 6-all. With the Lions leading 11-10, the TexAnns then scored six of the next eight points to take the lead. The Lions stopped the momentum with a rally and once again tied the match. The Lions finished with a fury, scoring five of the final seven points to win the set 25-22.

The Lions jumped out to a big lead in the fourth set. With the score tied at three, A&M-Commerce then went on a 9-1 run to take a 12-4 lead. TSU battled back to tie the match at 16, including at one point taking six points in a row. It was a down-to-the-wire finish as neither team wanted to lose the set. Beginning at 18-all, the teams were tied all the way until extra points. The Lions faced multiple break points but fought back and forced match point three times. The third one was a success as Jaslyn Wacker served an ace to score the 29th and final point of the set, winning the Lions the LSC Championship.

2018 LSC VOLLEYBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Shelley Chapron, Texas A&M-Commerce (MVP)
Jaryn Wacker, Texas A&M-Commerce
Celeste Vela, Texas A&M-Commerce
Adrianna Knutson, Tarleton State
Adriana Darthuy, Tarleton State
Hannah McManus, Tarleton State
Selena Batiste, West Texas A&M
Chandler Vogel, West Texas A&M
Madison Brabham, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Talleyshia Morris, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Audrey Fragniere, Angelo State
Aquincia Strambler, UT Permian Basin
Katy Ranes, Texas Woman’s
Jasmine Gannon, Eastern New Mexico

 

 

Women’s Basketball holds on to pick up the first victory of the year with 71-66 win over Metro State.

LUBBOCK– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team defeated Metro State 71-66 on Saturday evening. The Lions led by as many as 11 in the contest.

The win brings the Lions to 1-1 on the season while MSU-Denver falls to 0-2 on the year.

The Lions return to action on Monday for a road match against No. 10 Lubbock Christian. The game will be played at 6 p.m. at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Ekaterina Zhibareva (Liske, Russia) led the team with 14 points, scoring three baskets and making seven free throws.
– Chania Wright (DeSoto) had 13 points. Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) had 10 points and had a team-high five assists.
– Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) had 10 points and five rebounds. Maddison Glass (Missouri City – Hightower) had nine points and led the team with six rebounds.
– The Lions shot 38 percent from the field. The Lions scored 15 points off of turnovers and also had 15 fast break points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

It was back and forth early in the first quarter as the teams traded early buckets. Midway through the quarter, the Lions held an 8-7 lead. The Lions then went on a run, scoring seven points in a row to push their lead to 15-7, including a three-pointer from Makayla Foy. Glass also hit a three and the Lions took a 20-13 lead into the second quarter.

The Lions pushed their lead to double digits before the Roadrunners battled back to cut the Lion lead to three points. The Lions pushed their lead back to seven points before MSUD went on a late run, taking a 33-32 lead into the half. Bryant led the Lions with eight points in the first half while Glass had seven and Foy had six. Davis had four points and four assists.

The Lions took the lead early in the third quarter and would not give it back the rest of the contest. Wright and Mykiel Burleson were scorers first for the Lions, and Zhibareva had consecutive buckets midway through the quarter to bring the Lion to lead back up to eight. The Roadrunners cut the Lion lead back to one before a late Lion run took them into the final quarter with a 53-47 lead.

The Lions brought their lead back up to double digits in the fourth quarter as Wright hit a jumper. Wright hit a three at the midway mark to give the Lions a seven-point lead. Metro went on a late run to give the Lions a scare. After trailing by nine, they went on a 9-1 run over a three-minute span to cut the Lion lead to just one point with 30 seconds left. Davis was fouled and sunk both of her free throws. After another quick layup from MSUD, Davis was fouled again and again hit her free throws. Zhibareva hit two more free throws late to put the game out of reach.

 

 

No. 14 Lions close the regular season with 41-13 Senior Day win over Angelo State

COMMERCE – The No. 14 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team excelled in all three phases of the game, as the Lions closed out the regular season with a 41-13 victory over visiting Angelo State University on Saturday at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium.

The Lions complete the regular season with a record of 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the Lone Star Conference. The Rams wrap up the year at 6-5 overall and 4-4 in league play.

The field for the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs will be announced Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The Lions will host a watch party at 3:30 p.m. in The Club in the Rayburn Student Center.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lion offense averaged over six yards per play, rolling up 451 yards. The attack was balanced with 230 rushing yards and 221 passing yards.
– Defensively, the Lions allowed less than four yards per play and limited Angelo State to eight total first downs.
– Ovie Urevbu (Plano – Legacy Christian Academy) had his third straight game of over 100 yards, carrying the ball 30 times for 184 yards with touchdowns of 35 and 15 yards.
– Kane Wilson (New Orleans, La.) completed 16-of-28 passes for 221-yard with two TDs and two interceptions.
– Ryan Stokes (St. Louis, Mo.) had five receptions for 59 yards. Marquis Wimberly (Duarte, Calif.) had four catches for 59 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown reception. Vincent Hobbs (Mesquite – Horn) had three catches for 63 yards and a 3-yard touchdown catch.
– Dominique Ramsey (Converse – Judson) had a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
– Garrett Blubaugh (Keller) had 13 tackles and a forced fumble to lead the Lions. He teamed up with Deionte Haywood (Costa Mesa, Calif.) for a sack, while Neema Behbahani (Plano) and Jaylon Hodge (Houston – FB Travis) each had sacks. Jalon Edwards-Cooper (Spring – Dekaney) had six tackles with two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups.
– Kicker Kristov Martinez (Edinburg) was perfect in the kicking game with five PATs and a 2-for-2 night on field goals. He kicked a career-long 52-yarder in the second quarter for his 68th career field goal, tying him for second in Division II history. With 11 kicking points in the game, he now has 424 career points and needs 14 points to set the LSC scoring record.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions started off on fire, scoring on the game’s first drive. A 32-yard pass from Wilson to Hobbs put the Lions in ASU territory, then Urevbu broke off a 35-yard scoring scamper to give the Lions the 7-0 lead with just over a minute off of the clock.

After holding ASU to a three-and-out, A&M-Commerce pushed the lead to 14-0. Urevbu had two first down carries early in the drive, and a clutch pass from Wilson to Stokes put the Lions in the red zone. Wilson’s three-yard touchdown pass to Hobbs with 8:29 left in the first quarter put the Lions up by two scores.

Interceptions set up the Rams’ only two scores of the night. Donavyn Jackson’s pick and return to the A&M-Commerce 40 initiated a three-play touchdown drive, and Gilbert Gildersleeve III had a 55-yard pick six to get the Rams to within 14-13, but Haywood blocked the extra point attempt to keep the Lions on top.

On the next drive, Wilson completed three passes to Stokes in succession, followed by three Urevbu rushes before A&M-Commerce settled for Martinez’ 24-yard field goal. That score made it a 17-13 Lion lead with 14:12 left in half.

Two drives later, Martinez made it a 20-13 lead with the career-long 52-yard field goal with 7:57 left in half.

The Lions got the ball back on a punt with 26 seconds left in half and wasted no time recording points. A 21-yard pass to Matt Childers (Henderson) set up Wilson’s 39-yard scoring strike to Wimberly. That play gave the Lions a 27-13 lead at the halftime break.

The Lions’ second drive of the third quarter resulted in a touchdown thanks to steady work carried by Urevbu. While a 28-yard pass to Hobbs set up the final push, Urevbu had six carries on the drive. His sixth carry was a 15-yard touchdown play to put the Lions ahead 34-13 with 2:36 left in the third quarter.

The Rams were able to drive into Lion territory on the next drive and went for it on fourth-and-3 from the A&M-Commerce 18. Payne Sullins’ pass to the end zone was picked by Ramsey, who weaved his way for the 99-yard interception return for a touchdown, making it 41-13. Ramsey now has three returns for touchdowns this season – two on interceptions and one on a punt.

The fourth quarter saw no scoring, but the Lions kept the Rams from threatening late in the game, allowing only one first down in regular play in the final 15 minutes. Big plays by the defense wrapped up win number nine on the year for the blue and gold.

 

Scorching second-half leads Lions to 76-56 win over Newman

LAWTON, Okla. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team pulled away in the second half of action to take a 76-56 victory over Newman University on the second day of the LSC-Heartland Challenge at Cameron University on Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Lions are now 2-0 on the season, while Newman falls to 0-2.

A&M-Commerce is next in action on Tuesday night, hosting Our Lady of the Lake at 7:00 p.m. in the Field House.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions shot 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from the field in the contest, including a blistering 56.7 percent (17-of-30) in the second half. They were 22-of-36 (61.1 percent) on two-point attempts.
– Willie Rooks (Houston – North Forest) led all scorers with 21 points, also dishing out three assists and snagging two steals.
– Reggie Reid (Harlem, Ga.) scored 16 points, had five rebounds, and passed out a game-high four assists.
– Deonta Terrell (Chicago, Ill.) scored in double figures off the bench for the second game, netting 10 points. Tyree Robinson (Fall River, Mass.) had 10 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Newman scored the first points of the contest on a three-pointer, but Rooks drained a triple to tie the game a few seconds later. His second three-pointer of the game with just over two minutes gone put the Lions on top, as the teams battled back and forth in the early stages. The Lions never trailed again, but could only extend the lead to more than one possession at two points.

The Lions led 19-15 on a Reid trey with 6:24 left in the period, but the Jets responded with a three-pointer to cut the lead back to one point. Terrell’s layup with 1:18 remaining in half was the final score of the period, giving the Lions a 32-27 advantage. There were six ties in half.

A&M-Commerce roared out of the halftime locker room to establish a significant lead it wouldn’t relinquish. After NU scored the first three points of the half to cut the lead to two points, the Lions went on a 15-2 run over a five-minute span to push the lead to 47-32. Trey Conrod (Kilgore) started the surge with a layup, and Rodney Brown (Beaumont – West Brook) contributed with a three-pointer. A Reid bucket put the Lions up by double figures for the first time on the day, and Robinson sealed the run with a layup and a dunk to make it 49-34.

The Lion lead would not shrink to fewer than 11 points the rest of the contest. Carson Tuttle (Mukilteo, Wash.) had a personal five-point run with six minutes to play, and the Lions sealed the victory with the game’s last eight points. The trio of Robinson, Rooks, and Reid hit baskets down the stretch to earn the 20-point win.

 

 

No. 22 Lions advance to LSC Championship match for first time since 1994 after a 3-2 comeback win over A&M-Kingsville

STEPHENVILLE– The No. 22 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated Texas A&M University-Kingsville 3-2 on Friday night in the Lone Star Conference semifinal match. The Lions lost the first two sets but answered back by winning the final three games. The set scores were 20-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-23 and 15-12.

The win brings the Lions to 27-5 on the season, and they advance to the LSC Championship for the first time since 1994. The Javelinas fall to 19-14 and are eliminated from the tournament.

The Lions will face either Tarleton State or West Texas A&M in the championship match. The LSC Championship match, with an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament on the line, will be played at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions won the match after trailing 2-0. It is the third time this season the Lions have won after trailing 2-0. The Lions are 8-3 in five-set matches this season.
– With the win, the Lions advance to the LSC Championship match for the first time since 1994. The Lions’ last LSC Championship came in 1987.
– The Lions had five players record double-digit kills. Jaslyn Wacker (Austin – Vista Ridge) led the Lion attack with 11 kills while adding five blocks.
– Jaryn Wacker (Austin – Vista Ridge) had 10 kills and eight digs. Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) came just short of a triple-double with 10 kills, 14 assists, and nine digs.
– Bina Njikam (Keller) had 10 kills and three blocks. Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) added 10 kills and five blocks.
– Rylie Fuentes (Robinson) led the team with 27 assists and added nine digs. Daniela Santos (Caracas, Venezuela) had eight digs.
Riley Davidson (Commerce) had seven digs and three aces. Savannah Rutledge (The Woodlands – College Park) had nine digs and added three aces.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions took five of the first seven points of the match, taking advantage of multiple errors from the Javelinas. Kingsville would turn it around to score three of the next four points to pull within one. The teams would then go on to trade for much of the set. Neither side could establish a run longer than two points until the Javelinas pulled away late. They took seven of the final eight points to win the set 25-20. Njikam led the Lions with three kills in the game.

The Lions took three points in a row early in the second set before the Javelinas took five points in a row to take a four-point lead. The Lions clawed back to get within one before the Javelinas again had a three-point rally to go up four. A&M-Commerce was undeterred, however, scoring three of their own to pull back within one. The teams traded rallies again, and the Lions tied the score late, sending the set into extra points. However, the Javelinas scored the final two points to win the game 26-24. Jaryn Wacker led the Lions with four kills in the set.

The Lions came out of the gate firing in the third set. They went on an early 10-2 run to establish a nine-point lead. The Javelinas went on a 4-0 run to get to within five. But the Lions clamped down, taking the set 25-17. Jaslyn Wacker, Njikam and Chapron all had three kills in the game to lead the Lions.

The Lions got off to another hot start in the fourth set, taking five of the first seven points. The Javelinas fought back to tie the match at six. Kingsville took a 10-8 lead before the Lions answered back with four points in a row. It was part of an 11-3 run that put the Lions up 19-13. The Javelinas stormed back to take a 23-22 lead in the set. However, the Lions rallied late, making the final three points to win the game 25-23. Vela had four kills in the set to lead the Lion attack.

The Lions took the first six points of the fifth set, with Vela recording three early kills. Trailing 8-1, the Javelinas then scored five in a row to cut the Lion lead to two points. The Lions built the lead back up again to five before the Javelinas cut the lead to two points. The Lions would not be denied, however, taking the set 15-12 to win the match. Vela and Jaslyn Wacker led the attack with three kills apiece in the deciding game.

 

 

Women’s Basketball falls 77-68 in overtime to CSU-Pueblo to open the season.

LUBBOCK– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team lost a heartbreaking 77-68 overtime game against Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday to open the 2018-19 season. The teams went back and forth before the Thunderwolves pulled away in overtime.

The Lions are now 0-1 on the season while CSU-Pueblo is now 1-0.

The Lions return to the court on Saturday for a 5:00 p.m. matchup against Metro State. The game will be played at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Ekaterina Zhibareva (Liske, Russia) led the team with 14 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field. She also had a team-high five rebounds.
– Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) scored 12 points and had two assists and four rebounds.
– Alexus Jones (Lewisville – Aledo) added 10 points while Tahnia McDaniel (Arlington – Euless Trinity) had nine points.
– CSU-Pueblo shot 51 percent from the field in the game while the Lions shot 39 percent.
– The Lions got to the free throw line 25 times, shooting 68 percent from the foul line. CSU-Pueblo shot 15-of-17 from the free throw line.
– There were 28 ties and 11 lead changes in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After the Lions scored the first two points of the game, the Thunderwolves answered back with seven points in a row to take the lead. The Lions then started to feed Zhibareva in the paint, where she scored three consecutive baskets to help the Lions climb back in. It was part of a 7-0 run for the Lions that gave them the lead. CSUP scored the final four points of the quarter to take a 13-11 lead into the second period.

Both teams had hot hands to start the second quarter as the lead changed hands multiple times. Midway through the quarter, the game was tied at 23. The Thunderwolves then hit consecutive jumpers to take the lead. CSUP took a 31-28 lead into the half.

The Lions shot 43 percent in the first half while CSUP shot 56 percent. The Thunderwolves shot 82 percent in the second quarter while the Lions shot 50 percent. A&M-Commerce got to the foul line 10 times in the first half, attacking the basket multiple times.

The Thunderwolves pushed their lead to seven points early in the third quarter before the Lions stormed back. Davis scored multiple baskets, and the Lion defense caused several CSUP turnovers. Davis gave the Lions the lead with four minutes to play in the quarter. The teams continued to battle, and the Lions continued to attack the paint. Maddison Glass converted a three-point play and so did Davis, giving the Lions a 48-45 lead headed into the final quarter. Davis scored 10 points in the third to lead A&M-Commerce.

An early basket from Zhibareva pushed the Lion lead to five points, their largest of the game. After the teams traded buckets, CSUP went on a 6-1 run to tie the game at 53 at the midway mark. After a Lion bucket gave A&M-Commerce the lead, both teams went scoreless for a stretch before CSUP tied the game. Another Lion bucket was followed by two quick baskets from the Thunderwolves to give them a 59-57 lead with less than two minutes to play. Both teams found success from the foul line and the Lions had one opportunity left with the game tied at 61. Davis had a good shot but could not see the mark, and the game went into overtime.

The teams traded baskets early in the overtime period before the Thunderwolves pulled away. The Lion shooting touch went cold in the overtime period while CSUP shot a blazing percentage, missing just one shot in extra time. The final score was 77-68.

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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
Physical Address: 2600 Neal Street | Commerce, TX 75429
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Marcus Jensen
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce
Office: 903.468.3027
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