A&M-Commerce Lions at Sam Houston State Bearkats
Friday, November 22 • 11 a.m.
Johnson Coliseum • Huntsville, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (0-4); Sam Houston State (2-2)

Radio: KETR 88.9 FM (listen online at KETR.org)
Live Statistics: GoBearkats.com
Twitter Updates: @Lion_WBB

Opening Tip
A&M-Commerce begins a tough two-game stretch as the Lions will go head-to-head with a pair of Division I opponents. The Lions head south to Huntsville to battle Southland Conference foe Sam Houston State at 11 a.m. Friday. The game against the Bearkats marks Sam Houston State's "Pack The House" game where over 3,500 elementary school children are expected to attend.

Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Huntsville for Friday's game against the Bearkats can still stay up to date on every Lion basket. KETR 88.9 FM will carry the game live as Charlie Chitwood, the "Voice of the Lions," will have the call. The game will also be carried online at KETR.org. Live stats will be available at GoBearkats.com, with a link available at LionAthletics.com, with in-game updates available through Twitter by following @Lion_WBB.

Scouting the Bearkats
2013-14: 2-2 overall, 0-0 Southland Conference
Last Three Games: W vs. Houston Baptist (85-68), W vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (83-73), L at Arkansas-Little Rock (69-65)
Head Coach: Brenda Welch-Nichols (Sam Houston State, 1989). Eighth season at Sam Houston State (81-133, .379)
Key Bearkat Players:
• #3 Jasmine Johnson (Sr., G): 17.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 43.5 FG%, 35.0 3FG%, 73.3 FT%, 22 ast., 3 stl.
• #12 Angela Beadle (Jr., F): 14.3 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 51.4 FG%, 72.4 FT%, 5 ast., 2 blk.
• #21 Jazmin Wiley (Jr. G): 9.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 43.4 FG%, 68.8 FT%, 2 ast., 4 stl.
• 11 Taylor Dorsey (Fr., G): 8.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 40.9 FG%, 30.8 3FG%, 55.0 FT%, 9 ast., 2 stl.
• #33 Nyha Carter (Sr., F): 7.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 68.4 FG%, 100.0 FT%, 2 ast., 1 blk., 1 st.
Synopsis: Sam Houston State is 2-2 on the season and is currently riding a two-game winning streak. After falling at Arkansas (81-45) and at Arkansas-Little Rock (69-65), the Bearkats have won two-straight home games, defeating Louisiana-Lafayette (83-73) and future Southland rival Houston Baptist (85-68). Sam Houston Stat is averaging 69.5 points per game, shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three-point range, and has been a strong presence in the paint, averaging 38.2 rebounds per game.

Series Information
A&M-Commerce and Sam Houston State met for the first time since the 1983-84 season last November in Huntsville as the two long-time Lone Star Conference rivals renewed a dormant rivalry. The Bearkats have had the upper hand in the all-time series, winning 19 of the 21 meetings between the two, including the first 17 contests between 1971 and 1983. The Lions earned victories in both 1983 and 1984 before the Bearkats took the 78-50 decision at Johnson Coliseum last season.

Last Time Out
A&M-Commerce returns to the court after an eight-day hiatus following a pair of heartbreaking losses for the Lions. Leading by 11 at halftime at Southeastern Oklahoma, A&M-Commerce dropped an 85-83 decision in Durant, Okla., on Nov. 12 as Danielle Dixon's three-pointer at the buzzer was no good. Two days later in the home opener, A&M-Commerce rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half against Texas A&M International, tying the game 79-79 with 30 seconds remaining. But the Dustdevils put the game-winning lay-up off the glass as time expired, handing A&M-Commerce the 81-79 defeat.

Double-Double Harris
Few players have made achieving a double-double look as easy as Breanna Harris. The senior from Mansfield has achieved the feat in three of the first four games of the season, giving her an astonishing 29 for her A&M-Commerce career. Harris is averaging 18.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, with half of her rebounds being offensive. Her best game of the year was a 19-point, 19-rebound performance at Southeastern Oklahoma, tying her career-best for rebounds in a game.

Closing In On 1,000
A pair of Lions sit on the brink of an impressive career milestone as seniors Danielle Dixon and Breanna Harris are well within striking distance of logging 1,000 career points. Dixon has recorded 925 points for her Lion career, sitting just shy of cracking the top-10 for career points and 75 away from becoming the eighth player to reach 1,000. She seems to have the inside track on Harris, who currently sits at 804 career points in just over two seasons of play in Commerce. Harris has averaged 366.0 points per season in her first two years with the Lions, meaning if she hits her average she will finish her career around the 1,100-point plateau.

Welcome To The Show
Head coach Nicole Anderson was proud of the freshman class she brought to Commerce in the offseason and has wasted little time getting the newcomers some playing time. Three of the Lions' true freshmen have already burned their redshirts, led by Alize Pegue who has started three of A&M-Commerce's four games and is averaging two assists and 1.5 rebounds in nearly 18 minutes a game. Fellow freshmen Cheyenne Ramey and Jasmine Glee have also seen playing time as the two are both averaging over seven minutes per game.

Looking Ahead
A&M-Commerce faces another tough test when it travels west to take on Abilene Christian on Monday, December 2nd, marking the Lions second-straight game against a Division I opponent. The Wildcats made the jump to Division I following the 2012-13 season, but the long time Lone Star Conference rivals have an extended history against each other, including A&M-Commerce's upset victory over Abilene Christian in the 2013 LSC quarterfinals. Tip-off against the Wildcats is set for 5:30 p.m. at Moody Coliseum.