Women’s Basketball
After shocking loss; big win
On Feb. 7, the Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions traveled to Edmond Okla. to face the University of Central Oklahoma in a non-conference game.
For only the second time in fourteen games the women lost, as the Bronchos defeated the Lions 84-64.
“We just didn’t compete,” said A&M-Commerce head coach Denny Downing.
After both teams exchanged three pointers to start the contest, the Bronchos scored on seven of their next nine possessions to take an 18-7 lead with 13:59 left in the first half.
UCO would never relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.
The Bronchos extended the margin to as much as 19 in the first half, leading 31-12, with 7:11 left.
The Lions closed out the opening half with a 12-3 run to trail by seven, 39-32.
Kanani Marshal scored 11 points to lead the Lions and Britney Jordan added nine.
UCO spread the scoring around seven players, including 10 by Lizzie Brenner.
Central Oklahoma started the second half, like it did the first – with a three pointer.
After opening the game with its outside play, the Bronchos went to its inside game in the second half, scoring 24 points in the paint.
With UCO holding a 50-40 advantage with 16:51 left, the Bronchos went on a 14-4 spurt over the next three minutes to extend the margin to 20, 64-44.
Down the stretch, the Lions would get as close as 12.
The Lions (17-8, 5-2 LSC North) were led by Jordan, who scored 21 – 12 in the second half – Marshal scored 11 points and Katedria Mosley added 10.
“Some rust has come off (of Jordan),” said Downing. “She is one of the better guards in the conference as a sophomore.”
The Bronchos (11-11, 5-3 LSC North) Brenner recorded a double-double with a game-high 29 points and 13 rebounds.
Joining her in double figures by Cassidy Pillow, who scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead UCO. In the win, they shot 54.4% from the field.
Non-Conference victory over Northeastern
In the second consecutive break from non-conference play, the Lions played host to the Northeastern State Lady Reds.
After a slow start, the Lions picked up the pace and defeated the Lady Reds 59-51.
The Lions trailed for a majority of the first half, but a Tarika Campbell jumper gave A&M-Commerce their first lead of the contest, 12-11, with 7:59 left in the first frame.
Quintana responded for the Lady Reds by scoring Northeastern State’s next six points, as the Lions entered halftime trailing 20-19.
A&M-Commerce outscored the Lady Reds 10-2 in the paint in the first half as each team shot below 35% through the first 20 minutes of play.
Northeastern State controlled the tempo for the first ten minutes of the second half until Marshal connected on a three-pointer to give the Lions a 34-32 lead.
The Lady Reds responded by going on a 7-2 run over the next four minutes to recapture the advantage, 39-38.
The Lions quickly answered with a 10-0 spurt to take their largest lead of the game, 48-39, a lead which they would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest.
The Lions shot 35% (21-60) percent from the floor and a season-high 92% (12-13) from the free throw line in the win. The Lady Reds connected on 40% (21-52) of their field goals in the defeat.
Marshal scored 20 points in the second half, including 12 in the final 11 minutes, to seal the win.
She finished with 23 total for the game.
Sophomore guard Jordan scored 14 points and added seven rebounds and five assists and Mosley chipped in 12 points in the victory.
Quintana paced the Lady Reds offense by scoring a team-high 21 points and senior guard Wendy Fahrenbach added ten for Northeastern State.
With the win, the No. 5 regionally-ranked Lions move to 18-8 overall and 6-2 in the Lone Star Conference North and have now won 13 of their previous 15 games.
The Lions continue to stretch their single-season wins record with this win over Northeastern.
“No way are we satisfied with 17 wins,” said Downing of the record-breaking victory.
The Lady Reds drop to 12-10 on the season and 3-5 in the Lone Star Conference North Division.
After the game against East Central on Feb. 14, the current first-place Lions will play three more regular season games before the playoffs start.
“We control our own destiny,” said Downing.
The women travel to Durant, Okla. in what could be the deciding game for first place in the LSC North to face Southeastern Oklahoma on Feb. 17.
On Feb. 21, the Lions travel to play Cameron University in Lawton Okla. before coming home for the season finale against Southwestern Oklahoma on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
Lions 4-4 in LSC north
Texas A&M-Commerce senior forward Bobby Joshua scored a career-high 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Lions to a 76-67 victory over Northeastern State in Lone Star Conference North Division action on Saturday at the A&M-Commerce Field House.
Joshua scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to pace three Lions in double-figures.
Junior guard Leonard Bishop added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while senior guard Lamar Searight scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists in the victory.
The Lions battled to a 41-38 first half lead, in a half that featured five ties and seven lead changes.
A&M-Commerce dominated the paint in the first period, outscoring the Redmen 18-6 down low, while shooting 46% (15-33) from the floor.
The Lions opened the second half on a 7-2 tear to take a 48-43 lead and never looked back en route to the 76-67 win.
With the win, the Lions move to 11-12 overall and even their Lone Star Conference North Division record at 4-4.
Lions drop close one in double overtime
Texas A&M-Commerce dropped a heart-breaking 111-106 decision in double overtime to regionally ranked Central Oklahoma on Wednesday night at the Hamilton Field House.
In the defeat, five Lions scored in double figures and hit the 100-point plateau for the third-straight contest as they fall to 10-12 overall and 3-4 in the LSC North. Champ Sylvester led the Lions with 25 points, including a 7-for-10 from beyond the arc; Lamar Searight and Kevin Widemond each added 16 points apiece. Bobby Joshua had a double-double, scoring 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds; plus, Lance Jackson came off the bench to score 18 points.
The Lions opened up the game, shooting a season-best 71.4% from the field in the first 20 minutes. Sylvester hit four three pointers to give Texas A&M-Commerce a nine-point lead, 47-38, at the halftime break.
After both teams exchanged field goals to start the contest, Texas A&M-Commerce went on a 9-2 spurt to take a lead that they would not relinquish until 1:59 was left in regulation.
In the first overtime, with the game tied at 86, the Bronchos scored seven of the first nine points in the extra stanza to take a 95-88 lead.
Jackson brought the Lions back scoring the next five points and Widemond hit a jumper with two seconds left to send the contest into a second overtime.
In the second extra period, the game was tied up three more times. UCO’s Jason Arbet hit a jumper with 1:01 left in the game to put the Bronchos up 104-102. After taking the two-point lead, UCO scored the final seven points en route to a 111-106 victory.