CLUTCH SECOND HALF SHOOTING PACES LIONS TO 60-51 VICTORY
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word (7-3, 3-1 LSC) | 20 | 31 | 51 |
| A&M-Commerce (4-5, 2-2 LSC) | 28 | 32 | 60 |
| Commerce, TX (The Field House) | |||
| Incarnate Word | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|
| Pts: GREEN, Ashlyn - 21 | Pts: Danielle Dixon - 18 |
| Reb: HALE, Michelle - 6 | Reb: Amber Carver - 11 |
| Ast: COOKE, Katy - 7 | Ast: 2 Players (#24, #25 - 6) |
| Team Statistics | Incarnate Word | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 37.5% (18-48 ) | 44.6% (25-56 ) |
| Rebounds | 27 | 43 |
| Assists | 13 | 19 |
| Turnovers | 19 | 22 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 17 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 4 | 18 |
| Pts in the Paint | 14 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 8 |
| Bench Pts | 9 | 41 |
A&M-Commerce 60, Incarnate Word 51
Location: The Field House •Commerce, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (4-5, 2-2 LSC); Incarnate Word (7-3, 3-1 LSC)
Up Next: at Texas A&M-Kingsville • Saturday, Jan. 5 • 1 p.m. • Kingsville, Texas
COMMERCE, Texas – Trailing by seven midway through the second half, A&M-Commerce dominated the final 10 minutes of regulation, outscoring Incarnate Word 22-6 to hand the Cardinals a 60-51 defeat at the Field House Wednesday evening. The victory snaps a five-game skid for the Lions as A&M-Commerce hands Incarnate Word its first LSC loss of the season.
After having a quiet start to the season, Danielle Dixon finally found her scoring touch, knocking down a season-high 18 points with seven rebounds, hitting 7-of-11 shots from the floor. Amber Carver notched her third double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds while La'Tisha Hearne recorded her first double-double of the season, notching 11 points and 10 boards for the Lions.
A&M-Commerce dominated on the glass all evening, outrebounding Incarnate Word 43-27 for the game, including a 17-9 edge on the offensive boards, leading to an 18-4 edge in second chance points. The Lions shot 44.6 percent from the floor, including a blistering 53.8 percent in the second half, while hitting 56.3 percent from the free throw line.
The two-and-a-half week break did little to thwart the Lions in the early going as A&M-Commerce pounced out to the early 14-9 lead through the first nine minutes of the opening half. After back-to-back threes put Incarnate Word on top 19-18, A&M-Commerce reeled off a 10-0 run in the waning minutes of the opening half, building a commanding 28-19 lead before taking a 28-20 lead into halftime.
Carver and Dixon each had eight points and combined for nine rebounds while Breanna Harris added six points and four rebounds, three of which were offensive, through the opening 20 minutes. A&M-Commerce dominated on the glass in the first half, outrebounding Incarnate Word 24-11, including 10-1 offensive, helping break out to the halftime advantage.
But it was Incarnate Word that established the early momentum in the second half, outscoring A&M-Commerce 14-2 through the first four minutes to reclaim the lead at 34-30. The Cardinals would push that advantage to seven at 45-38 midway through the second, but the run seemed to spark A&M-Commerce as the Lions used a 9-2 run of its own, tying the game at 47-47 with just under seven minutes to play.
With momentum firmly on its side, A&M-Commerce showed the confidence and swagger it gained in early season victories. Led by some key shots from Dixon, the Lions outscored the Cardinals 9-0 over the final 4:43 of regulation to notch the big 60-51 victory at the Field House.
The win snaps a five-game streak to Incarnate Word as head coach Nicole Anderson notches her first career victory over the Cardinals. A&M-Commerce has now already doubled their win total from the previous two seasons and remains right in the thick of the Lone Star Conference race, sitting at 2-2 in LSC action.
Ashlyn Green led Incarnate Word with 21 points while Katy Cooke finished with 11. But the A&M-Commerce defense was able to clamp down on the remainder of the Cardinals, holding Incarnate Word to just 37.5 percent shooting from the floor and 21.1 percent from beyond the arc.
A&M-Commerce now heads on the road seeking its first LSC winning streak of the season, making the trip to South Texas to battle rival Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday afternoon. Opening tip against the Javelinas is set for 1 p.m. with coverage available at LionAthletics.com.