Chania Wright named LSC Defensive Player of the Week.

RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce guard Chania Wright has been named the Lone Star Conference women’s basketball Defensive Player of the Week. The league office on Monday announced the award. Wright is the fourth different Lion to earn Defensive Player of the Week this season, as A&M-Commerce has won four of the first seven awards of the season. 

Wright– a junior from DeSoto– was a pickpocket in both games last week for the Lions, recording eight steals, many of which led directly to baskets for either herself or her teammates. Against TWU, Wright had a career-high six steals and helped lead the Lion defense to cause 34 TWU turnovers, including 22 steals. Wright’s perimeter defense also helped limit the effectiveness of the Pioneer attack, as they shot just 28 percent from the field. Her staunch defense continued in the Lions’ 9-point win over Tarleton. She had two more steals and was quick in transition and on recovery defense, not allowing the Texans to find much space on the wing. Wright was also a potent offensive weapon, as she used her defense to create offense for herself. She scored 21 points against TWU, a season-high, and 15 points against Tarleton. 

Wright and the No. 8 Lions are on an 11-game win streak to begin the 2019-20 season, which is the best start to a season in program history. The team’s 11-game win streak also tied for the program record for most wins in a row. The Lions will return to the court on Jan. 2 as the Lions host Cameron. The game will be at 5:30 pm at the Field House in Commerce. 

WEEKLY AWARDS

Offensive

N-11 Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton

N-18 Maddi Chitsey, Lubbock Christian

N-25 Ashton Duncan, Lubbock Christian

D-2 Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton (2)

D-9 De’Anira Moore, Angelo State

D-16 Deijah Blanks, St. Edward’s

D-23 Nicole Heyn, Texas A&M International

Defensive

N-11    Maddison Glass, Texas A&M-Commerce

N-18 Juliana Robertson, Lubbock Christian

N-25    Alexis Bryant, Texas A&M-Commerce

D-2      Juliana Louis, Texas A&M-Commerce

D-9 Sawyer Lloyd, Angelo State

D-16 Sammie Dufek, St. Edward’s

D-23    Chania Wright, Texas A&M-Commerce

 

Wayne Stewart named LSC Offensive Player of the Week.

RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce forward Wayne Stewart has been named the Lone Star Conference men’s basketball Offensive Player of the Week. The league office on Monday announced the award. 

Stewart– a senior from Philadelphia, Pa.– was the Lions’ offensive star in a 2-1 week that included upset wins over No. 11 Missouri Southern and No. 10 DBU. He averaged 21.7 points and 5.7 rebounds throughout three games in six days. In the overtime win over Missouri Southern, he scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and had five rebounds while in the win at DBU, he tied for the team lead with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds. In a loss at Tarleton, he made his first nine shots on the way to tying his career-high with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting with four rebounds. He leads the LSC in shooting percentage in conference games at .741 and is third in scoring average in LSC contests at 19.4 points per game. 

Stewart and the Lions will return to the court on Jan. 2 as the Lions host Cameron. The game will be at 7:30 pm at the Field House in Commerce. 

WEEKLY AWARDS

Offensive

N-11 Joel Murray, West Texas A&M

N-18 Collin Turner, Angelo State

N-25 Pat Dembley, UT Permian Basin

D-2 Tre Flowers, Texas A&M-Kingsville

D-9 Jordan Lewis, Cameron

D-16 August Haas, St. Edward’s

D-23    Wayne Stewart, Texas A&M-Commerce 

Defensive

N-11 Qua Grant, West Texas A&M

N-18 Andres Ibarguen, Angelo State

N-25    Deonta Terrell, Texas A&M-Commerce

D-2 Clashon Gaffney, Tarleton

D-9 Tylan Dean, DBU

D-16 Ashton Spears, St. Edward’s

D-23 Joel Murray, West Texas A&M

Lions rise ten spots to No. 11 in final AFCA poll of 2019

WACO – After a run to the regional final, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team has finished the 2019 season as the No. 11 team in the nation in the final American Football Coaches Association Division II coaches’ poll, as announced Monday. 

The Lions defeated two undefeated teams on the road in Tarleton and Colorado School of Mines, advancing to the regional final before seeing the season end at eventual national runner-up Minnesota State. The Lions made the second-largest jump in the rankings with their playoff performance, rising ten spots from the end of the regular season. National Champion West Florida rose 19 spots from No. 20 to No. 1.

A&M-Commerce played five teams who finished the year in the top 25 or receiving votes. Minnesota State ended at No. 2, Colorado School of Mines ended at No. 8, Tarleton ended at No. 9, Colorado State-Pueblo ended at No. 12, and West Texas A&M was receiving votes. 

A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 65 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. It is A&M-Commerce’s 71st 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 120 times since joining Division II in 1981. 

The Lions will look to keep their momentum of five straight NCAA playoff appearances rolling into the 2020 season. The coaching staff will recruit for the 2020 signing class with spring practices following after that.

2019 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Final Poll – December 23, 2019

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.
1.	West Florida (31)	13-2	774	20
2.	Minnesota St.	14-1	744	4
3.	Ferris St. (Mich.)	12-1	705	2
4.	Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)	13-1	635	6
5.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	10-1	614	1
6.	Slippery Rock (Pa.)	13-1	605	8
7.	Northwest Missouri St.	12-2	528	10
8.	Colorado School of Mines	12-1	501	7
9.	Tarleton (Texas)	11-1	497	3
10.	Notre Dame (Ohio)	12-2	488	13
11.	A&M-COMMERCE	11-3	448	21
12.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	11-2	434	9
13.	Central Missouri	11-2	409	15
14.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	11-1	335	5
15.	Harding (Ark.)	10-2	332	12
16.	Kutztown (Pa.)	11-2	307	17
17.	Indianapolis (Ind.)	9-2	234	14
18.	Bowie St. (Md.)	11-1	218	11
19.	Wingate (N.C.)	10-2	216	16
20.	Carson-Newman (Tenn.)	9-3	205	25
21.	Indiana (Pa.)	10-2	171	18
22.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	10-3	165	NR
23.	Tiffin (Ohio)	9-2	145	19
24.	West Chester (Pa.)	9-3	88	22
25.	Lindenwood (Mo.)	9-4	77	NR

Dropped Out: Truman St. (Mo.) (23), Henderson St. (Ark.) (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Truman St. (Mo.), 59; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 40; Henderson St. (Ark.), 37; Missouri Western St., 22; Augustana (S.D.), 20; Wayne St. (Mich.), 5; Virginia Union, 4; Dixie St. (Utah), 3; Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 3; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 2; West Texas A&M, 2; Central Washington, 1; Ohio Dominican, 1; Virginia St., 1.