TAMUC – Sports

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Courtney Fields

Lions bring win streak to seven with 94-42 win over Dallas Christian.

COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team defeated Dallas Christian College 94-42 on Monday night. The Lions built a big lead early and continued to make it throughout the game.

With the win, the Lions’ win streak moves to seven games in a row, tying the second-longest winning streak in program history. The Lions are now 13-5 on the season. The Crusaders are 6-9 on the season.

The Lions return to Lone Star Conference action on Thursday with a rematch against Midwestern State. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Field House.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– The Lions had five players finish in double figures in the game.
– Courtney Fields led all scorers with 15 points. Jenna Price added 12 points.
– Brianna Wise had a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
– London Holland and Agang Tac both set career-highs with 11 points apiece.
– It is the second 50+ point win for the Lions this season.
– The Lions had 27 assists in the game, a season high. Five players had at least four assists in the contest.
– The Lions had 21 steals in the game, causing 33 DCC turnovers.
– A&M-Commerce had 60 points off the bench, had 24 fast break points, 46 points in the paint and scored 42 points off of turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions were the first ones on the board as Davis hit a floater in the lane. The lead changed hands four times early as the Crusaders were able to get a few shots to fall. The Lions then took the lead on a three from Nance and began to build a lead. DCC’s offense began to slump, held without points for the final seven minutes of the quarter.

The Lions went on a 10-0 run, getting to the free throw line. The Lions also struggled from the field, missing 11 of 12 shots. Free throws kept the Lions on the board, and they held a 17-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Lion defense continued to play tough in the second quarter as the Lions had two steals and buckets early in the quarter. The Crusaders broke their scoreless streak after 10 minutes without a point, getting to the free throw line. It started a mini-run for the Crusaders as they scored six of the next eight points to double their score. The Lions led 23-12 with six minutes left in half.

The Lions again held DCC scoreless for a long stretch, pushing their lead to up to 17 points. Wise scored two buckets in a row for the Lions, and Parker and Eckerman hit shots in the paint. The Lions took a 33-19 lead into halftime.

Wise had seven points to lead all scorers. She also pulled in seven rebounds. Parker, Eckerman, and Price all had four points. The Lions had four players with at least four rebounds in the first half. DCC shot 21 percent in the first half while the Lions shot 30 percent. Both teams had nine turnovers.

DCC had two early threes in the quarter, cutting the Lion lead back down to 13 points. Price hit a three of her own as the Lions quickly built their lead back up to 18 points midway through the quarter.

The Lions took their first 20-point lead at the four-minute mark as the defense again stifled the Crusader offense. The Lions went on a 14-0 run, holding DCC scoreless for more than five minutes. Holland got a steal and layup on the fast break to start the Lion scoring and another layup. Eckerman also got in on the scoring, hitting two layups on the fast break. The Lions held a 55-31 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Lions continued to build their lead in the fourth quarter, taking a 30-point lead. The Lions went on their longest run of the night, scoring 25 unanswered points over a four-minute span. The edge went over 40 points as the Lions started to hit shots consecutively in the lane and on the fast break. Tac had multiple layups near the end of the game, and the lead got above 50 points late.

 

Brianna Wise takes home LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the third time.

COMMERCE– Texas A&M University-Commerce forward Brianna Wise has been named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The conference office on Monday announced the award. It is the third time Wise has won the honor this season.

Wise– a senior from Desoto– once again was a force on the offensive end for the Lions in both of their wins last week. She averaged 18 points per game as well as 5.5 rebounds. Wise had 21 points in the Lions’ 88-77 overtime win against UT Permian Basin. She scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half and overtime, including recording the tying basket with under a minute to play in regulation to send the game into extra time. She was 7-of-9 from the field in the game and pulled in nine rebounds.

Wise then led the Lions with 15 points against No. 8 West Texas A&M in the Lions’ 59-55 upset win, helping the Lions to their first win over WT on the road in 13 years. Wise was clutch down the stretch, scoring 10 points in the second half. She knocked in free throws late to keep the Lions on top and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line in the game. Wise has scored 20 or more points in nine different games this season and leads the LSC in scoring during conference games, averaging more than 20 points per game.

Wise and the Lions return to action tonight with a home game against Dallas Christian College. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Field House. The game is part of Faith & Family Night. Tickets are available HERE or by purchase at the box office. The Lion men’s basketball team against DCC follows the game.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive
Nov. 15 – Desiree Phipps, Texas Woman’s
Nov. 21 – Brianna Wise, A&M-Commerce
Nov. 27 – Madison Parker, West Texas A&M
Dec. 4 – Brianna Wise, A&M-Commerce (2)
Dec. 11 – Whitney Taylor, Midwestern State
Dec. 20 – Lexy Hightower, West Texas A&M
Jan. 8 – McKinley Bostad, Tarleton State
Jan. 15 – Keanna Kelly, Angelo State
Jan. 22 – Brianna Wise, A&M-Commerce (3)

Defensive
Nov. 15 – Deleyah Harris, West Texas A&M
Nov. 21 – Artaejah Gay, A&M-Commerce
Nov. 27 – De’Anira Moore, Angelo State
Dec. 4 – Lejha Smith, Cameron
Dec. 11 – Marquita Daniels, Angelo State
Dec. 20 – De’Anira Moore, Angelo State (2)
Jan. 8 – Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State
Jan. 15 – Marquita Daniels, Angelo State (2)
Jan. 22 – Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State (2)

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CANYON – The No. 10 Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team battled back to tie the game after a 21-point deficit, but ultimately fell to No. 7 West Texas A&M University, 86-82, at the First United Bank Center in the NCAA Division II National Showcase game on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions are now 14-3 overall and 7-2 in the Lone Star Conference, sitting in a tie for second place at the halfway point of the conference schedule. West Texas A&M is now 17-2 overall and 7-2 in LSC play.

The Lions are next in action on Monday night at 7:30 p.m., hosting Dallas Christian for Faith & Family Night.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Willie Rooks scored 35 points in the game on 10-of-19 shooting, marking the most points by an individual in a Lone Star Conference game this season. He went 11-of-12 at the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds and three assists in the game.
– Reggie Reid scored 13 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.
– Dorian Armstrong scored 11 points and had five rebounds. His two late three-pointers each tied the game after the big deficit.
– The Lions shot 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the floor but helped turn the tables on 80.6 percent free throw shooting (25-of-31).
– The Lions had a 48-42 edge on the boards as Rooks, Joseph Williams-Powell, and Srdan Budimir each had seven rebounds.
– A&M-Commerce limited the hot-shooting Buffs to 40.6 percent from the field on 28-of-69 shooting.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams hit three-pointers on their opening possessions, with Armstrong nailing a long-distance shot from the corner to open the Lion scoring. A Rooks three-pointer gave the Lions a 6-5 lead with 17:34 to play in the opening half.

The Buffs then went on three separate five-point runs, taking a 20-10 lead on a Gach Gach triple at the 11:14 mark. A&M-Commerce went on a 6-2 run to get the lead back down to six points with 8:51 to go in the half.

WT then surged to its largest lead of the second half with an 11-1 rally. The Buffs led 33-17 with 5:35 left in the opening half. The Lions responded with their 11-point surge. Rooks scored seven of the 11 points as the guess narrowed the lead back down to five points at 33-28 with 3:26 to go.

After WT stretched the lead back to 12 points, the Lions scored seven points in 45 seconds. Reid’s flying layup with 45 seconds to play had the lead back down to five points at 40-35. Unfortunately for the Lions, the Buffs scored on their final two possessions, with a buzzer-beating three-pointer giving West Texas a 45-35 halftime lead.

The Lions shot 30 percent (9-for-30) in half, with six two-pointers and three three-pointers. A&M-Commerce indeed took advantage of West Texas’ 12 first half fouls, going 14-of-17 at the free throw line for an 82.4 percent rate.

Out of the halftime break, the Buffs started off on fire from long distance, with five made three-pointers in the opening four minutes, stretching the WT lead to 21 points at 61-40 with 16:05 left to play. The Lions did not panic and steadily chipped away at the lead.

A&M-Commerce scored 13 consecutive points and went on an 18-2 run over a seven-minute span, narrowing the deficit to just five points at 65-60 with 8:18 to go. Rooks scored 12 of those 18 points in the rally.

WT pushed back out to an eight-point lead with 5:12 to go, but a Willford three-point play, an Aaron Horne free throw, and a Joseph Williams-Powell jumper from the free throw line cut the lead to two. After a Buff free throw, Armstrong drained a wide-open triple with 2:58 to tie the game at 77-all, bringing the Lions all the way back from the 21-point deficit.

WT went up again on three free throws, but Armstrong made his second consecutive game-tying three-pointer to make it an 80-80 game.

Chavlovich scored in the paint, but Conrod immediately responded to tie the game at 82-all with 1:10 to play. WT took the lead on a Chavlovich three-point play with 49 seconds left and a Lion long-distance attempt to tie the game came up lacking. The Lions had a chance at a defensive rebound go missing, and a Buff free throw sealed their 86-82 win.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lions upset No. 8 WT 59-55, record first win in Canyon since 2005

CANYON– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team defeated No. 8 West Texas A&M 59-55 on Saturday. The Lions and Lady Buffs fought back-and-forth throughout the entire game, with the Lions pulling ahead in the final minutes to get the win.

With the win, the Lions improve to 12-5 on the season and 9-1 in the Lone Star Conference. Midway through the LSC season, the Lions are in first place with a two-game lead over the rest of the league. WT falls to 15-3 on the year and 7-3 in conference play. The Lions have won eight LSC games in a row.

The Lions return home for a non-conference matchup against Dallas Christian on Monday. That game will be played at 5:30 p.m. at the Field House in Commerce.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– The win is the first for the Lions in Canyon since Jan. 22, 2005.
– The Lions have won six games in a row, the longest streak under head coach Jason Burton. The team has also won eight conference games in a row, a program record.
– Brianna Wise led the Lions with 15 points. She was a clutch shooter from the foul line late in the game, helping to seal the win for the Lions. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line.
– Jenna Price had 14 points, scoring 11 points in the first half. She went 6-of-10 from the field and also pulled in a team-high five rebounds.
-Princess Davis scored nine points and had four assists. Melanie Ransom added seven points and a team-high six assists.
Jocelyn Pierce scored a career-high six points. Alex Nance added five points and Lauren Parker led the team with three steals.
– WT had 27 turnovers in the game that led to 21 Lion points. The Lions had just eight turnovers in the game.
– The Lions shot 24 more times than the Lady Buffs, pulling in 11 offensive rebounds along with WT’s turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions got off to a strong start, with Price making two early buckets to give the Lions a 4-0 lead. The Lion defense also started well, holding WT to just one basket in their first four tries. The Lady Buffs got to the free throw line early in the quarter however and the Lions held a 7-6 lead midway through the first quarter.

Pierce scored a strong bucket in the paint as the Lions brought their lead back up to three. The Lions were strong on the offensive glass, pulling down four offensive rebounds in the first quarter. Wise scored a contested basket in the paint late in the period as the Lions took a 12-10 lead into the second quarter.

The Lions outshot WT 17-7 in the first quarter. The Lions had four offensive rebounds in the first quarter and scored four points off of six WT turnovers. The Lions held WT to just 29 percent shooting in the quarter.

Wise hit a three to start the second quarter as the Lions built their lead to five points. After a WT basket, Price again found herself open near the bucket and knocked in consecutive shots to give A&M-Commerce a 19-12 lead with 7:41 remaining in the half.

The Lions had consecutive turnovers that the Lady Buffs turned into points, stemming the Lion run and getting WT back into the game. The Lady Buffs started to catch fire from the floor, making six baskets in a row to cut the Lion lead to just one point with under three minutes to play.

Both teams went scoreless for the final two and a half minutes and the Lions took a 26-25 lead into halftime. Price led the team with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Wise had five points and Pierce had four. The Lions missed their last seven shots of the half. The Lion defense was strong in the first half, causing 14 WT turnovers, which led to 12 points. The Lady Buffs got to the foul line 10 times in the first half, converting eight tries.

WT scored consecutive threes to start the third quarter, taking their first lead of the game. The Lions scored consecutive buckets of their own in response, keeping the score within reach.

The Lion defense held the Lady Buffs without a field goal for more than three minute as they climbed back into the game. Pierce converted a bucket in the paint and so did Courtney Fields. With 4:48 left in the third quarter, the Lions trailed 35-34.

Fields’ basket started a 7-0 run for the Lions. Price hit a three pointer to give the Lions back the lead. Davis then had a circus shot go in on a fast break, banking the ball in off the glass. A late bucket by WT sent the Lions into the fourth quarter with a 39-38 lead.

Ransom hit a three to open up the fourth quarter as the Lions again led by four. WT answered back with a three of their own as they regained the lead. The Lions then started a run, scoring multiple buckets in the paint. Nance converted a three-point play and Wise also hit a shot in the lane. A bucket from Ransom completed the 9-0 run. The Lions led 51-43 with five minutes to play.

WT went on a 6-0 run over the next minute to close the gap to just two points. WT got into foul trouble from then on in the game and the Lions took advantage. Wise got to the line and sunk two to give the Lions a four-point lead once again.

Both teams went cold from the field for the next two minutes before a basket from WT cut the Lion lead to two points with a minute to play. After a missed Lion basket, WT turned the ball over as Price drew a charge in the lane. With just 17 seconds left in the game, the Lady Buffs were forced to foul to extend the game.

The Lions were up to the task. Wise hit four free throws and Davis hit two more. WT ran out of time to get back into the game and the Lions pulled off the upset.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

No. 10 Lions edged 64-63 by No. 11 UT Permian Basin on a controversial buzzer-beating putback.

ODESSA – The 10th-ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team fell to No. 11 UT Permian Basin, 64-63, on a buzzer-beating putback by the Falcons in the UTPB Gymnasium on Thursday night.

The Lions fall to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in the Lone Star Conference, while UTPB moves to 15-2 overall and 7-1 in LSC play.

Next up for A&M-Commerce is the NCAA Division II National Showcase game on Saturday at No. 7 West Texas A&M. Tipoff in Canyon is 4:00 p.m., with the game, nationally broadcast, on ESPN3, WatchESPN.com, and the ESPN family of apps.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Reggie Reid scored 19 points to lead the Lions including a 10-for-10 night at the free throw line.
– Willie Rooks and Trey Conrod each scored 10 points, as the Lions shot 33.3 percent from the field (19-of-57). The Lions shot 6-of-32 (18.8 percent) from three-point range.
– Dorian Armstrong was just short of a double-double with eight points and 14 rebounds.
– The Lions held UTPB over 26 points below their LSC-best scoring average for the Falcons’ lowest point output of the season by 10 points. It also improved the Lions’ league-best scoring defense.
– UTPB shot 39.2 percent (20-of-51) from the field, as the Lion defense forced 20 Falcon turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams went on huge runs in the first half, with the Falcons going up big early before the Lions roared back to take the lead. After UTPB took an early 7-2 lead, A&M-Commerce went on a 10-point rally to go up 12-7 with 15 minutes to play on a Conrod triple.

From there, the Falcons scored 16 consecutive points while keeping the Lions off the board for nearly five minutes. James McPherson hit a trio of three-pointers in the surge which gave the home side a 23-12 lead at the 10:36 mark.

That lead would bulge to as many as 13 points before the Lions rallied thanks to strong defense and quality shooting at the free throw line. The bigs got the surge started with an Armstrong three-pointer and a Stefan Bozickovic layup.

The Falcons went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal as the Lions went on the 18-3 run. Conrod made four free throws to cap off the surge, giving the Lions the lead at 32-30.

However, the Falcons counterpunched again, nailing a pair of threes in the final seconds, including a Garrett Baggett buzzer-beater to give the hosts a 36-32 halftime lead.

The Lions shot only 32.3 percent (10-of-31) from the floor in half, including a 3-of-18 rate (16.7 percent) from long range. UTPB shot 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the floor, with a 5-of-14 (35.7 percent) three-point rate. The Lions forced 11 UTPB turnovers and held the hosts without a field goal for 9:45, with the hosts unable to make a two-point field goal in the last 11:15 of the half.

UTPB scored eight the second half’s first 11 points to get out to a seven-point advantage at 42-35 just over two minutes into the half. The Lions responded with a 10-point run, once again holding the Falcons off the board for a long stretch, this time 5:47 of the clock. Conrod’s jumper in the paint with 13:24 to play made it a 45-42 Lion lead.

Neither team would lead by more than two possessions for the rest of the game. The most significant lead of the remainder of the contest came when McPherson hit a three-pointer to make it 59-55 in UTPB’s favor with 4:40 to play.

From there, the Lions outscored the Falcons 11-6, taking a 63-60 lead on a pair of Reid free throws with 1:31 to go.

The Lions missed their final two field goal attempts in the last minute, and UTPB had to go the length of the floor with 10.8 seconds on the clock, trailing by one. McPherson left a three-pointer short, and Sammy Allen notched his only offensive rebound of the night, and the putback counted. After a lengthy replay review and more meeting on the floor, the officials scored the basket to give UTPB the one-point victory.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Brianna Wise

Lions take sole possession of first place in LSC with an 88-77 overtime win against UTPB.

ODESSA– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team defeated UT-Permian Basin 88-77 in overtime on Thursday. The Lions took control of the overtime period, outscoring UTPB 16-7 in the final five minutes.

The win brings the Lions to 11-5 on the season and 8-1 in the Lone Star Conference. Coupled with a loss by West Texas A&M, the Lions are now in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

The Lions will travel to Canyon on Saturday to face No. 8 WT. That game will be at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Bank Center. The game is part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase and will be broadcast live on ESPN3, WatchESPN, and the ESPN family of mobile apps.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– The Lions have won five games in a row, their longest winning streak under head coach Jason Burton.
– The Lions have won three LSC games in overtime this season. The Lions have played in four overtime games this season.
– Six Lions finished the game in double figures. All five starters scored in double digits.
– Brianna Wise led all scorers with 21 points, her ninth 20+ point game of the season. She also led the team with nine rebounds.
– Artaejah Gay moved into seventh place on the all-time scoring list after scoring 17 points in the game to go along with seven rebounds.
– Princess Davis scored 16 points and had six rebounds and six assists.
– Alex Nance made the first start of her collegiate career and scored 12 points and added three assists.
– Melanie Ransom had 10 points and eight rebounds in the game. Jenna Price added 10 points and seven boards.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons got off to a hot start, scoring five of the first seven points of the game. Gay then hit a three-point play to tie the game. The lead changed hands multiple times in the first quarter, with seven lead changes in the first period. Midway through the quarter, UTPB held an 8-7 lead.

Davis hit a layup to give the Lions back the lead. Wise then had a three-point play of her own to give the Lions a four-point lead. The Falcons went on a 5-0 run to regain the lead before a three from Wise gave the lead back to the Lions.

A&M-Commerce caught fire from behind the arc in the final minute. Davis hit a three with a minute to go. Jenna Price then had a three with 32 seconds remaining. After a late UTPB missed a shot, Davis heaved the ball from the three-quarter court, and it banked in off the window to give the Lions a 26-19 lead after the first quarter of play.

Nance had a three early in the second quarter as the Lions built their lead to eight. After both teams went scoreless for a two-minute stretch, the Lions started to get to the foul line. The Lion defense drew multiple charges in the second quarter, with Wise drawing two on back-to-back possessions as UTPB got into foul trouble. UTPB held firm, not letting the Lion lead get far away from them. A&M-Commerce led by five halfway through the second quarter.

Ransom hit a three with 4:03 left in half to give the Lions back their eight-point lead. A free throw from Nance gave the Lions a 38-29 lead, their largest of the half. A late jumper from Gay sent the Lions into halftime with a 42-34 lead.

Davis had 10 points at halftime, scoring all 10 in the first quarter to lead the Lions. Davis also had four assists. Gay had nine points in the first half while Nance had seven points. Wise added six points and four rebounds. The Lions shot 47 percent in the first half and 67 percent from behind the arc in the first half.

Nance hit a three to open up the second half as the Lions built their lead back up to nine points. The teams traded buckets throughout the first half of the quarter, and A&M-Commerce led 49-40 midway through the third.

The Falcons then started to rally, scoring seven in a row to cut the Lion lead to just two points. A&M-Commerce scored seven of the next nine to bring their lead back up to seven points. Wise had two jumpers in the rally. UTPB fought right back to tie the game at 55 with a minute in the quarter. A free throw from Wise took the Lions into the fourth quarter with a 57-56 lead.

The Falcons retook the lead with a jumper to open up the fourth quarter. The Falcons eventually built a three-point lead before the Lions scored four in a row to take back the lead. UTPB then went on another run to lead 64-60 with 5:44 left in the fourth quarter.

Ransom scored five points in a row for the Lions as the teams continued to fight until the end. Davis had a layup to cut the UTPB lead to just one with 2:51 remaining. The Falcons then hit a jumper to lead by three.

After turnovers by both teams, there was just under a minute remaining in regulation. Down by three, the Lions drew up a play in a timeout. Price had the ball and found Wise open at the three-point line. Wise drilled the three to tie the game at 71.

UTPB then had possession and found space for a shot. Ransom closed the gap quickly and blocked a three-pointer. The Lions took over possession with 14 seconds left and a chance to win the game. Gay found space for a three at the buzzer but it hit off the rim, and the game went into overtime.

The Lions dominated the overtime period, scoring the first nine points of the extra time. After a couple of UTPB baskets, the Lions closed out the game, building their lead to a game-high 11 points at the buzzer.