Fourth-quarter rally leads No. 24 Lions to 34-20 win at West Texas A&M.

CANYON – The No. 24 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team scored the final 14 points of the game in a 34-20 victory over West Texas A&M University at Buffalo Stadium in the NCAA Division II Football Showcase on Saturday.

The Lions move to 7-2 overall on the season and 5-1 in the Lone Star Conference, while the Buffaloes fall to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in league play. The win is the Lions’ sixth consecutive win over WT.

A&M-Commerce closes out its home schedule on Saturday, November 9, at 4:00 pm when the Lions host UT Permian Basin for Senior Day and Local Heroes Day presented by Ford Family Auto. Tickets for the game are available at the box office, online at WeAreLionsTix.com, or by calling (903) 468-8756.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions out-gained the Buffaloes 410 yards to 334, though they ran only 64 plays to WT’s 80.

– A&M-Commerce forced three turnovers, all on interceptions of West Texas passes. Felipe Chambers (Fair Oaks, Calif.) had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown, while Dominique Ramsey (Converse – Judson) and Jalon Edwards-Cooper (Spring – Dekaney) each had picks.

– Miklo Smalls (Plano – East Senior) completed 18-of-28 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback also had eight carries for 36 yards and the go-ahead goal in the fourth quarter.

– Kelan Smith (Dallas – First Baptist) had four receptions for 46 yards and the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. Chance Cooper (Leander – Rouse) was the Lions’ top receiver with six catches for 63 yards.

– Jemal Williams (Inglewood, Calif.) had 14 carries for 80 yards, and Antonio Leali’ie’e (Copperas Cove) had nine carries for 62 yards and a score. Williams also scored on a return of a blocked punt.

– Terrell Collins (St. Louis, Mo.) led the Lions with 13 tackles, including two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

– In addition to his interception, Edwards-Cooper broke up two passes. L.A. Dawson (Austin – LBJ) had four tackles and four pass breakups. Elijah Earls (San Antonio – Stevens) had six tackles with half a pouch, and he received credit with the block on the punt.

CLICK HERE for comments from head coach David Bailiff after the game

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams scored on their opening offensive drives. West Texas used 13 plays to go 75 yards and score on a 2-yard Logan Vallo touchdown carry. The Lions responded with a six-play, 64-yard scoring drive capped by Leali’ie’e’s 8-yard run with 6:50 left in the quarter. 

On the Buffaloes’ ensuing drive, Chambers intercepted the first play of the drive and returned it 35 yards for a score. The PAT was blocked, making it a 13-7 Lion lead. 

The A&M-Commerce advantage was pushed to 20-7 when Williams returned the blocked punt seven yards for a score with 14:08 left in the opening half. West Texas scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass on its next drive, and the 20-14 Lion lead would stand into halftime. 

The Lion offense was unable to score in the third quarter, and the Buffaloes’ 19-yard touchdown with 3:25 to play in the period tied the game up at 20-all.

A&M-Commerce stood firm in its territory early in the fourth quarter, turning the Buffs over on downs at the TAMUC 18-yard line. On the ensuing drive, the Lions took ten plays to go 82 yards and take the lead. Smalls completed 7-of-7 passes on the drive, and his 11-yard scramble to the pylon put the points on the board for a 27-20 lead with 8:40 to play.

The Buffaloes’ next two drive ended in three-and-outs, and a 45-yard quick kick punt aided the Lions’ field position by Smalls. A&M-Commerce started its next drive at the WT 35-yard line and needed only two plays to put the game away. Smalls had an 11-yard carry to start the drive, then completed a 24-yard catch and ran touchdown to Smith.

 

After the hosts converted on one fourth-down opportunity to attempt to cut into the lead, the Lions stopped the second chance and ended the game with active rushing attacks to run out the clock.

No. 23 Lions reach the 20-win mark after a sweep of Cameron.

COMMERCE– The No. 23 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team swept Cameron on Saturday afternoon. The set scores were 25-16, 25-16, and 25-22. 

The win brings the Lions to 20-5 on the season, 12-2 in the Lone Star Conference, and 7-1 in their division. Cameron falls to 6-19 on the year, 2-12 in LSC play, and 1-7 in the division. 

The Lions are now headed on the road to face West Texas A&M for next Friday at 6:00 pm at The Box in Canyon. The Lions face Eastern New Mexico on Saturday in Portales, N.M.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– As a team, the Lions hit .392 in the match, recording at least 16 kills in each set. The Lions had 53 kills in the game, compared to Cameron’s 25.

– Bina Njikam (Keller) led the way with 14 kills, hitting an astounding .571.

– Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) added 12 kills, hitting a team-high .667 in the match. Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) also had double-figure kills with 11.

– Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) led the team with 28 assists and also had eight digs. Natalie Sarbeck (Cypress – Cy-Fair) had 22 assists and also had three service aces.

– Riley Davidson (Commerce) led the team with 13 digs, while Daniela Santos (Caracas, Venezuela) had nine.

– With the win, the Lions reached the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions got off to a hot start, winning the first five points of the match. Chapron had the hot hand early, earning three quick kills. After the teams traded points for several rallies, A&M-Commerce went on a 4-0 run to push its lead to nine points. The Lions won the first set 25-16. 

It was an even start to the second set, as the teams split the first eight points. The Lions then went on a 4-0 run, as Chapron had a pair of blocks and a kill in the rally. A&M-Commerce pushed its lead to seven points at the halfway mark. The Lions went on a 7-1 run late in the set to pull away, winning 25-16. 

It was a tightly-contested set throughout the third set as each team traded blows. Trailing 6-5, the Lions scored four points in a row, including consecutive kills for Njikam. The Aggies responded with a 4-0 run of their own to take the lead back. Another 5-0 run for Cameron gave them a 15-11 lead in the set. The Lions battled back, and a 5-0 run of their own put the team up for good, including a pair of kills for both Chapron and Andersen. A&M-Commerce held off a late push and won the set 25-22.

Lions earn 1-0 overtime win over Texas A&M International on Senior Day.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team closed out its home schedule with a 1-0 overtime win over Texas A&M International University on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions move to 9-6-1 overall and 6-5-0 in the Lone Star Conference, further enhancing their chances at locking up an LSC Championship Tournament berth. TAMIU is now 2-11-2 overall and 1-8-2 in the league.

A&M-Commerce has two road matches to close out the regular season next week, playing at Midwestern State on Thursday, November 7, and at Oklahoma Christian on Saturday, November 9.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE & OTHER NOTES

– The Lions outshot TAMIU 19-2. The defense earned the shutout again, as neither of the Dustdevils’ shots was on goal.

– Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) scored the game’s only goal in the overtime period.

– The game was the Lions’ Senior Day, as A&M-Commerce celebrated the careers of Kasey Sorbers and Jessika Coronado before the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions dominated possession and opportunities through the entirety of the match but struggled to convert on those opportunities. A&M-Commerce had three occasions in the final minutes of the first half go wayward or get saved.

The home team continued the onslaught on Dustdevil territory in the second half but were not able to get a shot on goal until the 68th minute. One of the best chances in the match came in the final seconds of regulation, but the TAMIU goalie saved a free-kick from 25 yards out.

In the overtime period, the Lions continued their forward push, and the opportunity paid off when A&M International fouled a Lion in the penalty area in the 96th minute. Campuzano calmly stepped to the spot and fired the shot to the keeper’s right to end the game in the Lions’ favor.

 

No. 23 Lions comeback falls just short in a five-set loss to UAFS

COMMERCE– The No. 23 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team suffered a 3-2 loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday evening. The set scores were 17-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, and 6-15. 

The loss brings A&M-Commerce to 19-5 on the season, 11-2 in conference play and 6-1 in their division. UAFS improves to 19-5 on the season, 12-1 in conference play and 6-1 in the division. The teams split the regular-season series, with each team winning on the road. 

The Lions are back in action at 4:00 pm on Saturday against Cameron. The match will be at the Field House. 

Tickets to Lion Volleyball home matches can be purchased by visiting WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756, or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office inside the Field House during business hours.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) led the team in hitting percentage, hitting .423 with 12 kills and a team-high seven blocks.

– Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) led the team with 15 kills and also had four blocks.

– Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) led the team with 29 assists, while Natalie Sarbeck (Cypress – Cy-Fair) had 18.

– Savannah Rutledge (The Woodlands – College Park) led the team with 21 digs.

– UAFS hit .230 in the match and held A&M-Commerce to a .153 percentage. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The match started with two mini runs, as UAFS scored the first three, followed by four consecutive for the Lions. The teams went back and forth until a 4-0 run gave UAFS a 12-8 lead at the midway mark. UAFS began to pull away, and the Lions could not recover, falling 25-17 in the set. 

It was a back-and-forth second set as the teams tied at 13 at the halfway point. The set was tied on several occasions until UAFS scored three in a row to take a 21-18 advantage. The Lions battled back to within one point but could not overcome the deficit, falling 25-22. 

It was an evenly played start into the third set, as the teams were once again tied at 13 at the middle point of the set. The Lions then went on a 4-0 run to take the lead for good, with three kills from Chapron. The Lions took the third set 25-19. 

The Lions got off to a hot start in the fourth set, taking a 12-6 advantage. UAFS battled back to within one point at the halfway mark, as A&M-Commerce led 13-12. After the match tied at 17, A&M-Commerce finished the set with a flourish, winning the set 25-22. 

It was not meant to be for A&M-Commerce as UAFS scored seven points in a row early in the final set to take a significant lead. The Lions could not find their footing in the last set, falling 15-6.

 

Shaw and McDonough double up in Lions’ 4-0 win over St. Mary’s

COMMERCE – A second-half onslaught of goals allowed the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team to pull away for a 4-0 win over St. Mary’s University on Friday afternoon. 

The Lions move to 8-6-1 overall and 5-5-0 in the Lone Star Conference with the win, establishing a six-point gap between the important seventh seed in the conference and the rest of the field. St. Mary’s is 5-10-0 overall and 3-7-0 in league play. 

A&M-Commerce will host its Senior Day match at 1:00 pm Saturday, honoring Kasey Sorbers and Jessika Coronado before the contest with Texas A&M International. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions controlled the match from start to finish and held a dominant 23-7 advantage in shots, with 16 shots on goal.

– A&M-Commerce’s offensive finishing came from the reserves, as Lauren Shaw (Livingston – The Covenant Prep) and Jocelyn McDonough (McKinney – Boyd) each scored a pair of goals.

– Jen Peters (Allen) earned her seventh shutout of the season with three saves.

– Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) had two assists, while Skylar Sorrell (Monroe, La.), Kara Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.), Madison Zick (Arlington), and Tehillah Ndhlovu (York, England) all assisted in the leadup to goals. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Peters saved a St. Mary’s shot in the opening two minutes of the game, and that would be the Rattlers’ final attempt on goal in the first half. Lion shots were saved or went wayward in the first forty minutes before the home team cracked the deadlock. 

Shaw found herself with acres of space in front of goal after passes from Zick and Ndhlovu and calmly finished to put the Lions up 1-0 in the 43rd minute of action.

The Lions’ three goals in the second half came in quick succession. McDonough scored on a Blasingame assist in the 63rd minute, then doubled her tally up with a point-blank finish less than two minutes later on assists from Campuzano and Sorrell. 

Shaw completed the scoring in the 71st minute, firing home her second goal of the game on a perfect corner kick by Campuzano. 

Peters was forced into one late save, but the Lion defense contributed strongly to close out the game in shutout fashion.

 

 

Josh Manck

Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce

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Marcus Jensen

Director of Athletic Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce

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