Lions pick up 78-69 win over Midwestern State to claim a share of a divisional championship.

WICHITA FALLS – After trailing by double digits in the first half, the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team used second-half runs to pick up a 78-69 victory over Midwestern State University in D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Thursday night. 

The Lions move to 15-8 overall and 11-6 in the Lone Star Conference, while MSU is now 4-19 overall and 4-13 in the league. The Lions are now 7-0 in divisional play and clinched at least a share of the division championship with other results in the league. 

The Lions complete the Texoma swing on Saturday at Cameron at 4:00 pm Saturday in Lawton, Okla. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Deonta Terrell (Chicago, Ill.) scored 21 points to lead all scorers on 8-of-14 shooting. He also had two rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals.

– Wayne Stewart (Philadelphia, Pa.) earned his sixth double-double of the season and third in succession with 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

– Alberto Moreno (Ingenio, Gran Canaria) scored in double digits for the third straight game with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

– Josh Winbush (Lake Charles, La.) came off the bench with his best game in a Lion uniform with 14 points and six rebounds on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor.

– A&M-Commerce shot 30-of-63 (47.6 percent) from the field, 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from three-point range, and 56.5 percent (13-of-23) at the free-throw line.

– The Lions had a 40-37 rebounding advantage and outscored the Mustangs in the paint, 40-22.

Bryant and Glass notch career highs in No. 3 Lions’ 92-77 win at Midwestern State

WICHITA FALLS – The No. 3 Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team saw two seniors record career-high point totals on the way to a 92-77 win at Midwestern State University in D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Thursday evening. 

With the win, the Lions move to 23-0 overall and 17-0 in Lone Star Conference action. Midwestern State is now 8-13 overall and 6-11 in league play. The Lions clinch at least a share of the divisional championship with the win. The win also sets a program record 23 regular-season wins. 

The Lions complete the Texoma swing on Saturday with their sights on clinching the undisputed divisional championship. A&M-Commerce will play at Cameron at 2:00 pm Saturday in Lawton, Okla. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) earned a double-double with a career-high 21 points and ten rebounds.

– Maddison Glass (Missouri City – Hightower) scored a career-best 20 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 8-of-10 at the free-throw line.

– Chania Wright (DeSoto) had a career-high eight assists to go along with 13 points and three rebounds.

– Dyani Robinson (Cypress – Langham Creek) scored 12 points off the bench.

– A&M-Commerce shot 46.4 percent (32-of-69) from the floor, 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from three-point range, and 72.4 percent (21-of-29) from the free-throw line.

– The Lions had a 48-29 rebounding advantage. 

HEAD COACH JASON BURTON AFTER THE GAME

CLICK HERE to view coach Burton’s postgame interview 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions fought off hot shooting from the outside by the Mustangs in the first quarter but closed strong. MSU’s Mica Schneider made four three-pointers in the frame before A&M-Commerce closed on a 7-0 run. Bryant scored eight points in the quarter, and Wright hit a triple just before the buzzer to send the Lions into the second quarter with a 27-18 lead. 

For the second straight game, the Lions roared early in the second quarter, as A&M-Commerce scored 11 of the first 13 points in the quarter. Robinson hit two three-pointers and scored eight points in the quarter. A pair of free throws by DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) at the 6:34 mark gave the Lions a 38-20 lead for their largest lead of the half. 

MSU then went on a 12-point run with eight points from Schneider, cutting the lead down to six points. The Lions closed the half on a 9-2 run and led 47-34 at the break. A&M-Commerce shot 48.6 percent (17-of-35) in the first half and held a 26-12 rebounding edge. 

After pushing the lead to 15 points on the first possession of the second half, the Lions conceded a nine-point run to Midwestern, cutting the lead to six points at 49-43. A&M-Commerce answered with a seven-point surge to go back ahead by double digits. MSU narrowed the deficit to as few as five points at 60-55 win the final two minutes of the third quarter, but the Lions were able to take a 64-57 lead into the last period. 

Though the lead shrunk to five points again early in the fourth quarter, the Lions quickly re-established their dominance. Glass’ four-point run put TAMUC up by 13 points at 77-64 with 6:42 left in the game, and the lead would not go back to single digits in the rest of the contest. The Mustangs were within 11 points at 88-77 with 1:14 to go, but Glass scored the game’s final four points to put the cap on the victory. 

Alberto Moreno named Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week.

COMMERCE – Lion Athletics named Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball senior Alberto Moreno the Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week. 

Moreno – a senior from Ingenio, Gran Canaria – was instrumental in the Lions’ 77-63 overtime victory over UT-Tyler in the only action for the basketball team last week. He established a career-high in scoring with 23 points. He made 5-of-7 three-point attempts and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. 

For the year, Moreno has started in nine games, scoring in double figures in his last two contests. He is second on the active roster in assists and is shooting 36.7 from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the free-throw line.  

The Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week will be awarded by Lion Athletics each week during the academic year. 

2019-20 UNDER ARMOUR STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Sept. 10 – Timon Kemboi, Men’s Cross Country

Sept. 17 – E.J. Thompson, Football

Sept. 24 – Cora Welch, Soccer

Oct. 1 – Sydney Andersen, Volleyball

Oct. 8 – Brandi Stalder, Women’s Cross Country

Oct. 15 – Dominique Ramsey, Football

Oct. 22 – Shelley Chapron, Volleyball

Oct. 29 – Miklo Smalls, Football

Nov. 5 – Leslie Campuzano, Soccer

Nov. 12 – Dyani Robinson, Women’s Basketball

Nov. 27 – Alexis Bryant, Women’s Basketball & Alex Shillow, Football

Dec. 4 – Preston Wheeler & Elijah Earls, Football

Dec. 13 – Malcolm Woods, Men’s Track & Field

Dec. 18 – Wayne Stewart, Men’s Basketball

Jan. 8 – Chania Wright, Women’s Basketball

Jan. 15 – Lexi Bubenchik, Women’s Golf

Jan. 22 – Jamie Williams, Cheer

Jan. 29 – Cesar Torres, Athletic Training

Feb. 7 – Alexus Jones, Women’s Basketball

Feb. 13 – Alberto Moreno, Men’s Basketball

Emily Otto named to 2020 Top 50 players to watch for Schutt Sports/NFCA National Player of the Year.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Texas A&M University-Commerce pitcher Emily Otto is one of 50 players to watch in the 2020 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II Player of the Year Watchlist. The list was released on Thursday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). 

Otto– a junior from Richmond (Lamar Consolidated)– was a top-25 finalist for 2019 NFCA National Player of the Year after a historic sophomore season. She was named the Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Year, the South Central Region Pitcher of the Year and a Third Team All-American, becoming the first Lion pitcher to be named an All-American. 

Otto set nearly every single-season pitching record during her 2019 campaign, helping the Lions to their second consecutive berth into the NCAA Tournament. She was a First Team All-Region selection by both the D2CCA and NFCA, and also was a First Team All-LSC honoree and the conference’s gold glove pitcher. 

Otto finished the season with a 28-8 record and set 10 different single-season program records. She finished the season with a 2.01 ERA with 25 complete games, 13 shutouts, two saves, 173 strikeouts, and held hitters to a .194 batting average. In just her second season, Otto is now the program career leader in strikeouts, complete games, and shutouts. She set the program single-season records for wins, lowest ERA, fewest walks per seven innings, lowest opponent batting average, most appearances, most starts, most innings pitched, most strikeouts, most complete games, and most shutouts. 

Otto has also gotten off to a strong start to the 2020 season, as she has a 3-1 record with two saves. She has pitched a pair of complete-game shutouts and has three complete games on the year. She has a 1.41 ERA with 2.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 29 strikeouts, and is holding hitters to a .175 batting average. 

Otto and the No. 10 Lions are 6-3 to begin the 2020 season, with a pair of wins over nationally-ranked teams already under their belts. The Lions return to the diamond on Friday (Feb 21) as they head to Oklahoma for one final tournament before the beginning of the Lone Star Conference plays. The Lions will begin facing Fort Hays State at 10:00 am on the campus of Oklahoma Christian. They will then face Nebraska-Kearney, Rogers State, and No. 7 Central Oklahoma, who the Lions defeated 10-0 earlier this season. A&M-Commerce will then host Texas Woman’s on Wednesday (Feb 26) at 4:00 pm in the conference opener. 

2020 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division II Player of the Year Watch List (Alphabetical Order)

Ayanna Arceneaux, Western Oregon, R-Junior, Outfield

Courtney Barnhill, Angelo State, Senior, Outfield

Kayson Boatner, Anderson, Sophomore, Infield

Shelby Booker, Alabama-Huntsville, Junior, Third Base

Keila Bosinger, California San Diego, Sophomore, Outfield

Rosa’Lynn Burton, Wilmington, Senior, Outfield

Brenna Busby, Cameron, Senior, Shortstop

Bailey Byers, Malone, Junior, Catcher

Georgia Capell, Tarleton, Junior, Outfield

Daijah Chambers, Winston-Salem State, Senior, Second Base

Hannah Davis, Newberry College, Junior, Utility 

Khmari Edwards, Cameron, Sophomore, Second Base

Abby Fiessinger, Carson-Newman, Senior, Outfield

Grace Gilbert, West Florida, Junior, Pitcher/Outfield

Lydia Goble, Grand Valley State, Sophomore, Shortstop

Ty-Kella Goins, Lincoln Memorial, Senior, Second Base

Nikoma Holmen, Grand Valley State, Junior, First Base

Teala Howard, West Florida, Sophomore, Outfield

Kacie Kelly, Saint Leo, Senior, Shortstop

Jordyn Kleman, Winona State, Senior, Pitcher

Brooke Larsen, California State-Chico, Junior, Pitcher

Anastasia Leibas, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Junior, Shortstop

Jennifer Leonhardt, Southern Indiana, Senior, Pitcher

Bailey McKittrick, Central Oklahoma, Sophomore, Pitcher

Ashley Mickschl, Augustana, Senior, Pitcher

Ali Nowak, Winona State, Senior, Catcher

Callie Nunes, Concordia-Irvine, Junior, Pitcher

MaKray Odom, Trevecca Nazarene, Senior, Shortstop

Emily Otto, Texas A&M-Commerce, Junior, Pitcher

Mary Pardo, Augustana, Sophomore, Outfield

Liz Pautz, Winona State, Junior, Pitcher

Morgan Perry, Saint Anselm College, Senior, Pitcher

Hazel Puempel, Central Oklahoma, Senior, Outfield

Tymber Riley, Arkansas Tech, Sophomore, Second Base

Mahina Sauer, Southern Nazarene, Senior, First Base

Kylee Smith, North Georgia, Senior, Pitcher

Breanna Smith, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Senior, Pitcher

Sydney Sprinkle, Concordia-Irvine, Sophomore, Catcher/First Base

Kelsey Sweatt, University of West Florida, Junior, Pitcher

Andee Tiffee, Missouri, St. Louis, Senior, Pitcher

AnnMarie Torres, Colorado Mesa, Senior, First Base

Jacy Ummel, Drury, Senior, Outfield

Brylynn Vallejos, San Francisco State, Sophomore, Outfield

Sydney Wader, Southern Arkansas, Senior, Pitcher

Lakyn Wagoner, Illinois-Springfield, Junior, Outfield

Magnolia West, Palm Beach Atlantic, Senior, Outfield

Jordan Withrow, Tarleton, Senior, Pitcher

Jenna Witt, Concord, Senior, Third Base

Kristin Worley, California State-Chico, Senior, Shortstop

Ashley Worrell, Rollins College, Sophomore, Pitcher