Box Score
STEPHENVILLE, Texas – For the first 30 minutes the Lions were able to hang with the #19 TexAnns before a five-minute field goal drought dashed the hopes of the road upset. During the drought the TexAnns went on a 16-1 run to put the game out of reach.
The Lions tried to mount a last minute comeback while holding the TexAnns to just four points over the last three minutes but ran out of time.
A&M-Commerce (3-15, 2-7 Lone Star Conference) has now lost four in a row and have dropped the last seven in the series to the TexAnns. Tarleton State (15-3, 6-2 LSC) stays two games back of West Texas A&M for first place n
The Lions held the advantage on glass, 47-35, and in bench points, 22-6, but Tarleton State held the upper hand in points in the paint, 38-28, and shot better than the Lions from the field and from behind the three-point line.
Devin Oliver led the way for the Lions with 16 points on 6-of-13 from the field.
Ashlee Johnson set a new season high with 10 points, with eight coming from the free throw line.
Aubree Butts was the other Lion in double figures with 10 on the evening.
Breanna Harris had eight points and nine rebounds for A&M-Commerce.
Tarleton State opened the game with back-to-back field goals to take the 4-0 lead and pushed the lead to 11-3 before Nicole Anderson took a 30-second timeout. After the timeout
Aubree Butts put a layup through to get the Lions to within six.
The lead held steady for the TexAnns at six to seven points before the Lions scored seven straight to tie the game after a layup from Oliver. A&M-Commerce then took their first lead after Oliver hit a three on their next possession. The Lions held the lead through the duration of the first half and held a one-point advantage, 33-32, heading into the break.
Oliver got the Lions back in front with a jumper after Tarleton State tied the score at 33 in the opening minutes of the second half.
The lead would change hands five times over the next four minutes before a layup from Butts got the Lions up five, 46-41, with 14:10 to go. The TexAnns then responded with an eight-to-nothing run to take a 49-46 lead with 12:35 to play.
After another Butts layup for the Lions, the lead got pushed to three after a
La'Tisha Hearne lay up, just past half way in the half.
That field goal would the last the Lions would have until Hearne connected on a jumper with 4:16 to play. During that span however Tarleton would take the lead and build their it to 69-60.
Tarleton State would then go the final 5:36 without a field goal of their own but there was enough time for the Lions to catch them, even after a 6-0 run got them to within five at 69-64 with 2:26 left.
The Lions would not score again and saw the TexAnns make five free throws down the stretch to extend the lead to 10.
A&M-Commerce will look to stop their current skid when Cameron comes to The Field House on Wednesday, February 5. The Lions have beaten the Aggies already this season, a two point win Lawton back on January 15.
