Grand Junction, Colo. – Playing its second game in as many days in evaluation, the A&M-Commerce men's basketball team struggled shooting in an 85-76 loss in game two of the Holiday Inn-Airport Thanksgiving Classic against host Colorado Mesa Saturday night.
 
Turning Point
- Colorado Mesa jumped out to an eight-point lead, 12-4, just over five minutes into the game and fended off the Lions for the remaining 35 minutes to pick up the win.
 
Highlights
- Anthony Adams led the Lions with 14 points. He was 3-of-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
 
- JR Owens added 12 points, while Bryant Crowder followed with 11 points.
 
- The Lions struggled shooting in the game going 37 percent overall, 35 percent from behind the three-point arc and 73 percent from the free throw line, while the Mavericks hit 44 percent of their shots, 37 percent of their 3-point attempts and 83 percent of their free throws.
 
Quotable
"We played extremely hard and got beat by a good team in their gym tonight. There is no shame in that, but we have got the kind of guys that don't want to accept that."-- A&M-Commerce head coach Sam Walker.
 
Summary
1st Half
- JR Owens scored the first points of the game for the Lions a minute into action to give A&M-Commerce a 2-0 lead, but the lead was short lived after a Mavericks three-pointer gave Colorado Mesa a one point advantage.
 
- The Mavericks allowed the Lions to cut the margin down to one point, 24-23, on a Craig Fofang jumper, but Colorado Mesa extended the gap out to 10 points, 42-32, at the half. The Mavericks closed the final six minutes of the half with 14-6 run.
 
2nd Half
- Colorado Mesa came out of the break and extended its lead out to 13 points following a triple with 17:45 showing on the clock.
 
- After the Mavericks push their lead out to a game-high 14 points, 61-47, with 13:10 to play, the Lions scrapped back into the game trimming the margin down to six points on an Anthony Adams free throw with 10 minutes later. 
 
- With 2:28 remaining, Owens threw down a dunk to cut the margin back down to six points, 77-71, but the Mavs sank six of their eight free throws in the final minute and a half to secure the 85-76 win.
 
Inside the box score
- Adams has scored in double-digits in all five of the Lions opening games.
 
- Owens' 15 field goal attempts was a career-high.
 
- After the weekend, the Lions remain at .500, 5-5, against current RMAC teams.
 
What's Next?
- A&M-Commerce stays on the road with a trip to Searcy, Arkansas to tipoff against Hardin on Monday December 7 at 7:30 p.m. for its next game. Three days later, the Lions return to The Field House with Harding with game time in Commerce slated for 7:30 p.m.
 
Fans can follow all the action from the 2015-16 season on www.LionAthletics.com, through twitter @Lion_Athletics and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LionsAthletics.