Lions look to strike back against NSU

The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's and women's basketball teams will be looking to avenge midweek losses suffered at the hands of Northeastern State University (NSU) tomorrow at the A&M-Commerce Field House starting with the women's game at 2 p.m.

NSU won both contests on Wednesday, Feb. 3. While the men just fell short in an 86-80 score line, the A&M-Commerce women suffered a 67-49 loss at the hands of the RiverHawks. The NSU women are top of the table in the Lone Star Conference North Division table, boasting a 6-1 conference record and a 17-5 record overall. Lions' Head Coach Nicole Anderson is hoping two games in quick succession against the RiverHawks will favor her team.

"I think it's good for us, because the taste of the loss is still very much in our mouths," she said. "You know what you need to work on, you know how and you're very familiar with the players. It's not a month down the road where you don't remember who you're playing against so much."

In Wednesday's loss it was the first half that escaped A&M-Commerce, who are now bottom of the LSC North Division with a 1-6 record. NSU was up 17 points at halftime. The Lions had a much-improved second half, as they were narrowly outscored 33-34.

"We stood around a lot to begin the half, and in doing so we cannot be successful," Anderson said. "We were able to cause them some major issues on the offensive end. They weren't as comfortable, and we need to make them more uncomfortable more often in order to be successful."

Junior Genevieve Campbell led the team with 17 points and was 5-8 from beyond the three-point line. Another junior, Mattilyn McIntyre, scored 16 points against NSU in the midweek contest and leads the team in scoring this season, averaging 15.4 points per game.

McIntyre said when playing an opponent twice in the span of a few days, the few practices the Lions have are very crucial.

"This is very vital to our success in the next game, because we know exactly what we need to do," she said. "We have a short period of time to correct those mistakes and come back tomorrow strong."

For NSU, the player to watch is junior Jasmin Webb. After scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in the Wednesday game, she leads the RiverHawks with an average of 11.2 points per game. Sophomore Alix Perkins is the outside threat for NSU, as she shoots 40 per cent from beyond the arc.
 

The men's game has the potential to be a nail-biter, as the Lions only lost by six earlier in the week. A&M-Commerce Head Coach Sam Walker is anticipating the chance to play NSU this soon after losing to them.

"I love the opportunity to play somebody a second time after a loss," he said. "I don't know if we will necessarily win, but I think we will play better the second time we play somebody. Our team is very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents and the strengths and weaknesses of themselves."

Seniors Ronnie Morgan and Cardell Hunter led the Lions last Wednesday, as they had 16 points each. Brian Singleton added 12 points in that game and said playing at home is not going to make the biggest difference against NSU.

"Sticking to our game plan and doing what we do in practice, that'll make it work," he said. "That'll make us get the win."

Walker said at this point in the season, every game is as important as the next; however, he does see something special in home games.

"The games that are probably the most important are the games at home," Walker said. "Whether we play NSU, or whether we play Southwestern [Oklahoma State] or Southeastern [Oklahoma State], you need to win your home games where you feel like you have an advantage."

Junior Dominique Gaines leads the RiverHawks with 18.5 points per game and a .465 shooting percentage. Another player to watch for is senior Jason Jones, who shoots 50.5 per cent from the floor and averages 15.6 points per game.

The A&M-Commerce men have not beaten NSU at home since Jan. 23, 2008, when they won 67-62. The last home game against NSU for the men ended in a 68-63 loss. The women topped the RiverHawks when they came to the A&M-Commerce Field House last season, winning 94-89.