COMMERCE, TEXAS – An electrifying final 12 seconds of regulation saw the Lions (4-2) score the four points they needed to force overtime, where they then put the Rogers State Hillcats (1-5) away 62-55, moving to 4-2 on the season.
 
Trailing 50-46 as the end of regulation rapidly drew near, Princess Davis sprinted down the court to find sophomore guard Natalie Hessong open in three-point land. Hessong fired, and drained her season-high fourth three-pointer of the game, putting the Lions within one with twelve seconds to play. The Lions then executed a press, forcing Rogers State to attempt a risky inbound attempt that sailed toward the timeline. La'Tisha Hearne was waiting and picked the ball off, before the Hillcats fouled her with four seconds remaining. Hearne split her free throws, and when RSU then failed to get a shot off, the game went to overtime.
 
In overtime, Gabby Scott, who had gone a frigid 0-11 from the field in regulation, buried a three to get A&M-Commerce off on the right foot. From there, clutch free throw shooting won the day, as Hearne, Ashlee Johnson and Kiana Evans combined to go 9 of 10 from the charity stripe to pull off the win.
 
"The thing I saw with them tonight is they looked confident, and they kept getting stops down the stretch," said head coach Jason Burton, "They don't quit. They fought, they played hard and played to the end, and it paid off for us today."
 
The game was low-scoring in the first half, with neither team shooting efficiently from the field (A&M-Commerce with 39.1 percent, Rogers State with 17.2 percent). The one offensive bright spot in the game was Hessong, who nailed three of her four three-point attempt in her first game as a reserve. She would finish with season-highs in threes (4) and points (14).
 
"(Rogers State) did a good job at packing the paint and not letting us get the ball to our bigs when we wanted to," said Burton, "I thought in the first half we got stagnant, and we've got to do better shooting against the zone."
 
Though the Lions entered the second half with a narrow 27-24 lead, that rapidly evaporated, as the Hillcats, led by Mikaila Newton's 10 second-half points, wrestled the lead from the Lions. Things looked bleakest when the Hillcats extended their lead to 10 with 3:47 remaining, establishing a 49-39 lead. Yet the final three minutes, started off by a pair of Hearne free throws, saw the Lions go on a timely 11-1 run, capped off by the aforementioned crescendo in the final 12 seconds, to send the game to overtime.
 
Hearne was undoubtedly the player of the game for A&M-Commerce, as she pulled off her third double-double of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds. The senior forward feasted at the free-throw line, sinking 16 of 22 attempts, while adding two steals and a block to her terrific statline.
 
Ashlee Johnson once again led the way for the Lions in the takeaway department with three steals, though Saturday was a true team-effort in that department, as six players contributed to the squad's 11 steals.
 
In addition to the previously mentioned Newton, who finished with 13 points, six boards and two steals, the other two players of note for the Hillcats in the loss were Kami Bunch and Amari Jones. Bunch also reached double digit scoring with ten points, while Jones led her team in steals, matching Johnson's three.
 
With the win, the Lions forge the first back-to-back wins of the season. What's more, they're not only now unbeaten in overtime games, but also undefeated in the friendly confines of the Field House.
 
"It's so good to be at home. We felt good the entire game," said Burton, "To have your fans in the gym where you practice every day is great."
 
The Lions now look forward to an entire week of rest as the semester comes to an end. It won't be until next Sunday, December 14 at 4 p.m. that the Lions will again take the floor. That game will be in San Marcos, Texas, when A&M-Commerce takes on the Texas State Bobcats (3-3).