Lions look to avenge the earlier loss at No. 15 DBU on Saturday.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team will battle DBU again after a day off, as the Lions and Patriots wrap up the home-and-home series in Dallas on Saturday. 

WHO: A&M-Commerce at DBU

WHERE: Dalls | Burg Center on DBU campus

WHEN: 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 2

RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 5-4 overall and 4- in the Lone Star Conference. DBU is 11-2 overall and in LSC play.

RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is unranked, while DBU is ranked No. 15 in the NABC Coaches’ Poll and No. 21 in the D2SIDA Poll.

TELEVISION/LIVE VIDEO: Lone Star Conference Digital Network (Direct Link)

RADIO: Lion Sports Network | KETR-FM 88.9 (Streaming on KETR.org)

LIVE STATS: Click HERE

 

LIONS LOOK TO AVENGE THURSDAY LOSS AT DBU

• The Lions will travel to DBU on Saturday afternoon, looking to avenge Thursday’s 76-71 loss in Commerce.

• The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lions and was the first DBU win in Commerce since 1979.

•The Lions shot 41.9 percent (26-of-62) for the game with 12 made three-pointers, including a 53.1 percent (17-of-32) rate in the second half.

• Devin Bethely scored 22 points with six assists and five rebounds to lead the Lions.

• Dante Adams had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

• The Lions were hampered by 23 turnovers, which the Patriots turned into 28 points.

• The Lions had a strong 43-28 advantage in rebounding. 

 

CHARITY STRIPE PERFECTION

• The Lions were perfect at the free-throw line in the UT Tyler game on January 23, going 16-of-16 from the charity stripe to establish a school record for made free throws without a miss.

• The previous record of 14-of-14 was set on February 16, 1970, in a 66-64 loss at Sul Ross State.

• This is the third overall perfect free throw night on record, including a 3-for-3 night vs. Angelo State on February 1, 2020.

• This is one of nine games in Division II this season with a perfect conversion rate and 15 or more attempts.

 

PERIMETER EXCELLENCE

• The Lions have been fantastic in limiting their opposition from converting on three-point attempts, ranking first in the LSC and 11th nationally with an opponents’ three-point percentage of 28.2.

• This has helped the Lions to rank third in the league in scoring defense, as TAMUC allows 72.6 points per game. Since the first game of the season, no team has scored more than 76 points on the Lions. 

 

FIRE AND IC

• This game will feature two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of scoring.

• A&M-Commerce ranks fourth in the league in scoring defense, allowing 72.6 points per game.

• DBU ranks second in the league in scoring offense at 89.2 points per game.

• The Lions held DBU 16 points under their season average on Thursday.

• Conversely, both teams rank 12th in the LSC in the opposite category, with the Lions scoring 72.6 points per game and the Patriots allowing 79.5 points per game.

• DBU has the league’s second-leading scorer in Chandler Jacobs (21.4 ppg).

 

BETHELY DISHES IT OUT         

• Senior point guard Devin Bethely is second in the LSC in assists and third in assist-to-turnover ratio.

LSC ASSIST/TURNOVER
Rk       Player  School Ast      TO       A/T
1          Cameron Copley         LCU    64        23        2.78
2          Carson Hughes           DBU    53        20        2.7
3          Devin Bethely TAMUC          53        21        2.5
4          JoJo Murray    WT      39        18        2.2
5          Lloyd Daniels LCU    32        15        2.1

LSC ASSISTS/GAME
Rk       Player  School Ast      Gm      APG
1          Cameron Copley         LCU    64        10        6.4
2          Devin Bethely TAMUC          53        9          5.9
3          Daniel Venzant           SEU    68        12        5.7
4          JoJo Murray    WT      39        7          5.6
5          Carson Hughes           DBU    53        13        4.1

ALL-TIME vs. DBU
• This is the 28th all-time meeting between these two teams, with A&M-Commerce holding an 18-9 lead in the series.
• The Lions have won eight of the last 10 games in the series.
• A&M-Commerce is 6-5 all-time in the Burg Center and has scored over 100 points in the last two visits.

LOOKING AT LION HISTORY
• This is the 28th time the Lions have played on February 6, with a 15-12 record overall and 5-3 road record.
• This is the first time the Lions have played under coach Jaret von Rosenberg on this date.
• The Lions have not lost on the road on this date since 1999.
• TAMUC beat Trinity 53-27 at home on this date in 1934. You’re welcome, Chitwood.

D2SIDA REGIONAL RANKINGS
• The second D2SIDA Regional Rankings of the season has been announced for games through January 17.
• D2SIDA will rank six teams per region this season.

Rk       School (1st)     Rec      Votes
T1        Colorado School of Mines (2)            9-0       26
Lubbock Christian (2) 10-0     26
3          West Texas A&M (1) 5-0       23
4          Texas A&M-Kingsville          11-1     14
T5        Dallas Baptist 10-2     8
T5        Colorado Mesa           10-1     8

CAREER PERCENTAGE LEADERS
• Head coach Jaret von Rosenberg is ranked third in school history in career winning percentage.

Rk       Coach  W        Record
1.         Bob Rogers     .769     113-34
2.         Will Hill Acker           .708     46-19
3.         Jaret von Rosenberg   .670     69-34
4.         Darrell Tully   .621     59-36
5.         Dennis Vinzant           .605     92-60
6.         Sam Walker    .585     285-202
7.         Norman Pilgrim          .547     152-126
8.         Paul Peak        .532     134-118
9.         Jim Gudger     .515     202-190
10.       Jerry Matthews           .440     99-126

 

LeBlanc’s no-hitter highlights No. 9 Lions’ Opening Day sweep of Arkansas Tech and A&M International.

COMMERCE – The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team started the 2021 season on the right foot, picking up wins over Arkansas Tech and Texas A&M International on the first day of the Lion Invitational on Friday. 

The Lions used a sixth-inning rally to defeat Arkansas Tech 5-3 in the opener. Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) earned the fifth no-hitter in program history in the second game, as the Lions rolled to a 13-0 win over A&M International in five innings. 

A&M-Commerce (2-0 overall) faces off against the same two teams on Saturday, starting at 12:30 vs. A&M International. 

HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE GAMES 

A&M-COMMERCE 5, ARKANSAS TECH 3

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) was the Lions’ offensive leader, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs.

– Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) was 2-for-3 with a triple.

– LeBlanc had a two-run homer and picked up the win in the circle with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out two. Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) had no-decision in the start but struck out eight and allowed only one earned run on three hits in 5.0 innings. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions loaded the bases in the first with a Schaefer leadoff single, a Kinsie Hebler (Cy-Fair) walk, and Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) reaching on catcher’s interference. Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to convert the runners into runs. 

The Golden Suns took the lead in the top of the fourth with one out when Makenzie Addis hit a home run off the top of the left-field foul pole. A walk and an infield error put runners on the corners, but the Lions limited the damage to the one run. 

A&M-Commerce flipped the lead in the bottom of the fifth with the Lions’ first runs of the season. Schaefer led off the inning with a massive home run to left-center on a full count to tie the game. LeBlanc bombed a two-run homer just under the scoreboard with one out to give the Lions the 3-1 lead. 

Arkansas Tech loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth on a throwing error, single, and hit batter. LeBlanc entered the game in the circle, but the Golden Suns could tie the game with a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. 

Modrego led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and advanced to scoring position on a throwing error on a failed pickoff. A Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) sacrifice bunt moved her to third, and a pinch-hit single up the middle by Serina Aguilar (Spring – Woods) gave the Lions a 4-3 lead. Schaefer followed that up by ripping an RBI double to the left-center gap to push the lead to 5-3. 

LeBlanc retired the Golden Suns in order in the seventh to seal the victory. 

A&M-COMMERCE 13, A&M INTERNATIONAL 0 (5 innings)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– LeBlanc cruised in the circle for the fifth-ever Lion no-hitter, striking out eight. She did not allow a baserunner until a one-out walk in the fourth. She also went 1-for-2 with a double and a sacrifice fly.

– Mackenzi Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central) was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, and three RBIs.

– Avery Boley (Ft. Worth – Nolan Catholic) was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer.

– Modrego hit a two-run homer in the second inning.

– Chealsea Slider (Texarkana) drove in two runs, and Schaefer drew two walks and drove in a run.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game Two)

Schaefer led off with a walk and scored on Dugi’s hard-hit triple to left-center. Dugi scored from third on an error, and Avery Boley smashed her first homer of the season to right field to plate a pair and give the Lions a 4-0 lead after one inning of action. 

The second inning started when Slider reached on a Dutton triple, and she scored on a passed ball. Ta’Lyn Moody (Mansfield – Legacy) singled to center, Schaefer walked, and Dugi’s double to right-center brought that duo home for a 7-0 lead. LeBlanc’s sacrifice fly was the first out of the inning on the sixth batter, and Slider brought home a run when she reached on an error, Modrego blasted a two-run homer down the left-field line, and Schaefer closed out the inning’s scoring with an RBI single. The Lions led 12-0 after two frames. 

LeBlanc hit a one-out double in the third, and pinch-runner Mairady Dempsey (Lavaca, Ark.) scored on Slider’s RBI single to finish off the day’s scoring for the Lions.

LeBlanc retired the first ten batters before allowing a walk but struck out the final five Dustdevils in succession to earn her first career no-hitter. She is the third Lion to have a no-hitter, as Otto and Hebler each have a pair.