MSU pulls away from Lions in second half, 64-52
It was a disappointing night for the A&M-Commerce men's basketball team after making a run at the end of the regular season to clinch the last seed in the Lone Star Conference tournament. The Lions held their own against top seed Midwestern State in the Lone Star Conference quarterfinal round at the Allen Event Center on Wednesday, but fell short of advancing, 64-52.
The Lions (10-17 overall, 5-14 LSC) came out in a stingy zone defense, holding the Mustangs without a field goal until the 14:25 mark in the first half. It was a defensive battle back and forth between the two teams causing a low-scoring first half. After a stagnant start, Midwestern State was able to take control of the tempo and dominated defensively.
Both teams struggled shooting the ball from the field in the opening half with the Lions shooting 28 percent (7-of-25) and the Mustangs even worse at 23 percent. In the final two minutes of the first half, the Lions were able to put together a 7-0 run, and went into the break with a 26-19 advantage.
In the first minutes of the second half, Midwestern State responded and cut the lead down to four points. With just over nine minutes left in the second half, Midwestern State made another adjustment and was able to take a 7-point advantage.
As they've done all year, the Mustang defense kept the Lions at bay and dominated throughout the second half. The 3-point shot began to come alive for Rivers and senior guard Michael Loyd as they combined for five 3-pointers and finished the game in double figures for the Mustangs.
After a rough shooting first half for the Lions, it didn't get much better in the second half but they were able to hold MSU's lead to single digits. With 5:30 left in the game, the Mustangs bumped their lead to 11 points.
From that point on it seemed like it was a downfall for the Lions. Preston Whitley and Devondrick Walker both fouled out with a little over three minutes remaining in the half. The Mustangs converted field goals on two consecutive trips down the floor bumping their lead back to double digits.
After multiple defensive stops and conversion of free throws, the Mustangs were able to dribble out the clock and put the Lions away to secure a first-round victory.
The Lions finished the night shooting just 25 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from the foul line. Hambrick led the Lions with 18 points, while freshman guard Quince Jackson had 12 points with five rebounds and Whitley added 10 points.
Preseason LSC Player of the Year Desmond King finished 0-of-13 from the field and had only two points.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The East Texan News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE EAST TEXAN NEWS
- 'Expendables 2' epitomizes dumb but fun action
- 'The Bourne Legacy' disappoints with same old thrills
- Tasteless 'Total Recall' remake leaves audiences underwhelmed
- Actor chemistry saves 'The Watch' from being boring waste
- Batman goes out strong in final 'Dark Knight' film
- 'Ted' marks promising film career for McFarlane
- Stylistic choices sink 'Savages'
RECENT THE EAST TEXAN CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Better Health, Naturally
- Stay Connected Via Free Mobile Services
- Clean Your Air: Six Ways To Manage Allergens
- Tips For Improving Mental Health
- New Writers and Illustrators Win Decades-Old Science...
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- BookTrib’s Bites: Jump into Spring with These Four Reads
- The Untold Story of GoDaddy Founder’s Traumatic Life a...
- La Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil destaca las oportunidades
- BookTrib's Bites: Four Captivating Spring Reads
- Moms Kick Back with Mamaritas
- Generac Urges Americans to Prepare for Power Outages Early
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- NOW Available: Comcast Launches NOW Brand Prepaid Internet and Mobile Services Nationwide
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding