LIONS TAKE THE ZIAS OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO DOWN TO THE WIRE, 58-53
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&M-Commerce (1-23; LSC 0-18) | 23 | 30 | 53 |
| Eastern New Mexico (9-15; LSC 7-11) | 30 | 28 | 58 |
| Portales, NM (Greyhound Arena) | |||
| A&M-Commerce | Eastern New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Pts: Breanna Harris - 13 | Pts: JOHNSON, Tara - 11 |
| Reb: La'Tisha Hearne - 7 | Reb: TATE, Kiara - 8 |
| Ast: Kaneisha Flournoy - 6 | Ast: TATE, Kiara - 5 |
| Team Statistics | A&M-Commerce | Eastern New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 29.4% (20-68 ) | 42.1% (24-57 ) |
| Rebounds | 44 | 40 |
| Assists | 7 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 17 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 21 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 11 | 6 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 32 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 6 | 10 |
| Bench Pts | 21 | 20 |
Eastern New Mexico 58, A&M-Commerce 53
Location: Greyhound Arena * Portales, New Mexico
Records: A&M-Commerce (1-23, 0-18 LSC); Eastern New Mexico (9-15, 7-11 LSC)
Up Next: at Abilene Christian * Tuesday, February 21 * 5:30 p.m. * Moody Coliseum
It was an all too familiar story as the Lions got off to another slow first half falling back 11-2 in the opening 2 minutes of the game. The Zias offense would slow down, allowing the Lions to catch back up courtesy of Breanna Harris.
Harris would give the Lions a spark by dropping 6 points to get the Lions within reach, 19-17, and Danielle Dixon would knock down a big layup to tie the game up 19-19 at the 7:44 mark.
Michelle Sutton would continue the Lion 7 point run with another jumper, extending the streak to 9 points and giving the Lions the lead for the first time in the game, 21-19.
Unfortunately, the Lions would not hold onto their lead as they were outscored 10-2 in closing 6 minutes of the first half falling behind, 30-23. The Zias would be led by Precious Herrin who scored 6 points in the opening half, followed by Lace Clark who hit 5 points for the Eastern New Mexico.
Precious Herrin would immediately knock down a jumper in the opening minute of the second half, continuing the Zias streaking offense, 32-23.
The Lions would hit a stretch, putting the Lions within striking distance again, as they hit an 8-1 run led by Kaneisha Flournoy who knocked down 4 of the 8 points putting the Lions down, 33-31.
Apreia Booker would lead the way for the Lions scoring 10 points all in the second half, but the Lions would not be able to chip away the Zias lead until the closing minutes of the second period.
Danielle Dixon would explode in the closing minutes of the second period scoring 6 points; Apreia Booker would knock down a massive jumper putting the Lions within one point at the 4:25 mark (49-50).
Dixon would keep the Lions within striking distance as she kept the game close 52-51 at the 2:37 mark, but the Lion turn overs would ultimately end their rally after Tara Johnson converted 3 Lion turn overs into 6 points in the closing 2 minutes of the game.
The Lions now have their final chance to win their first road game against the Wildcats of Abilene Christian who are also currently struggling. The final road trip of the season against the Wildcats will be on February 22nd at 5:30 PM. The Lions will then return home for their final home game against Angelo State on February 25th.