A 20-4 run midway through the second half led Texas A&M University-Commerce to an 85-67 victory over host No. 19 Tarleton State.
Texas A&M University-Commerce (3-2) junior Cardell Hunter scored 20 of his 22 in the second half and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds for his first double double as a Lion in the win. Teammate DeUndrae Spraggins scored 12 of the first 20 points for A&M-Commerce, who finished the contest with 20 points. The duo was in double figures for the fifth-straight game and joined by Rashad Brown, who recorded his second straight double double with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds and Dominique Taylor added 11.
With a 43-39 lead with 15:44 left after a Spraggins tip in, A&M-Commerce went on a decisive a 20-4 run en route to the win. During the run, 12 of the 20 points came in the point against a taller Tarleton State squad.
Tarleton State (4-1) senior forward Eric Williams hit six three pointers for a game-high 24 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds. In the loss, Tarleton State was held to 39 percent shooting from the field and out-rebounded by the Lions by a 48 to 35 margin.
The Lions closed out the half on an 8-0 run in the first 20 minutes, trailing by a 34-33 margin. It was the third time in 2008-09 that A&M-Commerce found itself down, but it marks the first time that the Lions came back with the win.
With the win, the Lions will be idle until a rematch with Ouachita Baptist on Thursday, Dec. 4 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas at 7 p.m.
Unfortunatly the Lion’s game against Ouachita Baptist did not go as well.
Jaranimo Marks collected 28 points and 12 rebounds to help Ouachita Baptist spoil Texas A&M University-Commerce’s home opener with a 66-59 victory over the Lions on Saturday night at the A&M-Commerce Field House.
The Tigers improve to 4-2 overall, while the Lions drop to 2-2.
After Brandon Rose dropped in a layup to extend the Tigers’ lead to 58-53 in the second, A&M-Commerce reeled off four straight to close within one at the 3:21 mark. Marks and Rowan Ledbetter wouldn’t let the Lions get any closer, combining to score the Tiger’s final eight points to put the game away.
Rashad Brown scored 12 points, including one of the night’s top plays with a dunk over a Tigers’ defender in the first half, and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead A&M-Commerce. Cardell Hunter scored a team-high 17 points, and DeUndrae Spraggins added 10.
Ledbetter joined Marks in double figures with 14 points, followed by Antonio Benjamin with 10.