A&M-Commerce basketball splits Saturday's games

Women's

Despite five players in double figures, the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 82-80 decision to Cameron on Saturday afternoon in Lawton.

It is the second-straight close decision for the Lions, who lost by three on Wednesday to Southwestern Oklahoma State.

A&M-Commerce (4-22, 1-13 LSC North) battled back from a 19-point deficit to get within a possession of tying the game or taking the lead in the game in the final two minutes.

Junior Mattilyn McIntyre scored a team-best 16 points and junior Genevieve Campbell added 15 more in the defeat. Senior Ashley Murphy, who was playing in her final collegiate game, finished with a double double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Juniors Anisha Ingram and Nikki Garner scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Cameron (9-18, 5-9 LSC North) shot 50% from the field and was led by the double double performance of Lyndie Neville, who had game-high honors with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Luv Rattler and Josie Stewart, who added 19 and 15 points, respectively, joined Neville in double figures. Alexis Williams chipped in 10 more points in the win.

The Aggies built a 36-23 halftime lead on the strength of 55.6% shooting from the field and holding the Lions to 25.7%.

Trailing 66-52 with 7:24 left in the game, Campbell hit a jumper to spark a 12-0 run by the Lions that culminated with a McIntyre lay-up to cut the deficit to 66-64 with 5:47 to go. The Aggies came back to score the next four points in the game.

Again, the Lions proved its resiliency when they were down seven, 77-70, with 2:23 remaining. A&M-Commerce scored six of the next seven points to make the game, 78-76 with 1:24 remaining. After two Cameron free throws made it a four-point game, Garner scored three of the next five points but the Lions failed to get any closer in the final seconds.

Men's

The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team held Cameron to a 26.4% shooting from the field in a 76-48 wins on Saturday afternoon in Lawton.

A&M-Commerce (19-8, 8-4 LSC North) clamped down against the host Aggies and held them to its lowest shooting effort of the season. It is the lowest effort by an A&M-Commerce opponent since Midwestern State on January 29, 2004.

The tenacity on the defensive side lent its hand to a balanced offensive attack led by senior Ronnie Morgan, who had 17 points and junior Dallas Hunter (pictured) added 11. Freshman Preston Whitley had a game-high 11 rebounds in just his fourth start of the season.

Cameron (10-16, 0-12 LSC North) was led by Milton Garner, who had a game-high 23 points on the strength of 5 three pointers and teammate Kallan Glasgow added eight points and 10 rebounds.

Following the second tie of the game, sophomore Brad Hambrick made his second-straight 3 pointer to put the Lions in front for the remainder of the game. Later in the half, a 10-1 spurt put A&M-Commerce in front by double digits sparked the rout. The Lions went into the halftime break with a 38-22 lead on the strength of a 12-4 advantage on points in the paint and led 8-0 on points from the bench.

Cameron scored the first six points of the second half to get within 12 but that would be as close as the Aggies could get. In the second 20 minutes, Morgan scored nine points and Dallas Hunter scored all 11 of his points, as the Lions would post its second-straight win.

Next up for A&M-Commerce is the 2010 Lone Star Conference Tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Quarterfinal action for the Lions gets underway on Wednesday at 6 pm for the Lions when they will face Lone Star Conference South Division runner-up Tarleton State.