Austin, Texas—The Lions win the first of two weekend games defeating St. Edwards 67-53.

TEAM LEADERS
A&M-Commerce
Points: Shomari Harris, 12
Rebounds: Two players tied with seven rebounds each
Assists: Shomari Harris, 6
Steals: Two players tied with three steals each
Blocks: Artaejah Gay, 1

St. Edwards
Points: Khiani Clark, 16
Rebounds: Khiani Clark, 9
Assists: Shareka Barnes, 4
Steals: Joly Haley, 4
Blocks: Joly Haley, 2
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Lions had zero players in double figures at the end of the third quarter but finished with three players.
• The Lions barely survived the rebound battle, winning 37-35. St. Edwards outrebounded the Lions offensively 15-9.
• Although the Lions forced 19 turnovers, they also committed 23 of their own.
• The Hilltoppers had 14 steals total.
• The Lions shot 49% from the field, 40% from three, and 87.5% from the free throw line.
• St. Edwards shot 36% from the floor on 22-of-61 shooting, 6% from the three-point line on 1-of-16 attempts, and 57% from the strip shooting 8-of-14.
• The Lions gave up only eight points in the first quarter, but gave the Hilltoppers a chance by giving up 16 points in the third quarter.
• Shomari Harris led the team in scoring and assists with 12 points and six assists.
• Amari Jones had 11 points and was tied with Audrisa Harrisonin rebounds with a team high of seven.    
• Artaejah Gay scored 10 points off of the bench on 4-of-7 shooting.
• Khiani Clark led St. Edwards with a game high of 16 points and nine rebounds. Shareka Barnes followed with 11 points and was the team leader with four assists.

1st Half
There was not too much scoring in the first half however the Lions warmed up late and went on a 7-4 run to end the first quarter. The Lions shot 6-of-15 from the floor in the quarter while St. Edwards shot 25 percent on 4-of-16 shooting including going 0-4 from three point range.
 
Although the Lions turned the ball over 11 times in the half, they made up for it shooting over 40 percent from the floor as well as from beyond the arc. The shooting woes continued for the Hilltoppers however, finishing the half shooting 9-of-32 overall and 1-of-9 from the three-point line. Shomari Harris ended the half leading the Lions in scoring with seven points, all scored in the second quarter. The Lions rebounded well in the half winning the first half battle 22-18 in that department and being led by Audrisa Harrison who crashed the boards with five rebounds. Shareka Barnes was the hint of light for St. Edwards with seven points, two rebounds, and one steal.
 
2nd Half
The third quarter was a struggling quarter for the Lions. In addition to their six turnovers, St. Edwards shot 50 percent from the floor cutting the lead down to seven points. Khinani Clark had a big third quarter with seven points and finished the quarter with a team high of 12 points. Although outscored 16-14 in the third quarter, the Lions managed to head into the final period of play with a 48-39 lead.
 
To shake off the third quarter setback, the Lions returned to form shooting lights out from the floor. The Lions forced a Hilltopper timeout after extending their lead to 55-41 and never looked back from that point. The Lions hit two big three pointers down the stretch of the fourth quarter that closed the game out to get their fourth victory of the season. A&M-Commerce shot 49 percent from the floor overall, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.5 percent at the stripe on 7-of-8 shooting. Shomari Harris finished with a team high of 12 points and six rebounds. Amari Jones followed with 11 points and was tied in first with Audrisa Harrison with seven rebounds. Artaejah Gay also played her best game of the season off of the bench with ten points and a block in 15 minutes. For St. Edwards, Khiani Clark just fell short of a double-double scoring 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Shareka Barnes also finished in double figures with 11 points and led the Hilltoppers with four assists.  

Burton's Corner
When asked about:
…an evaluation of today's game.…
"We shot the ball well. 49% for the game is the best we have shot all year; but we were too careless with the ball today. Hopefully, we got all of our turnovers out today because we cannot do that against Texas State and expect to win. We also struggled to contain Barnes off the dribble. Tomorrow, Texas State has two guards that are just as quick that we have to contain to be successful."
…the quick turnaround game with Texas State.…
"We have worked on Texas State scout this week in practice and we will watch film tomorrow and go over the scouting report in more detail. They are a similar team to us as far as what they like to do. The challenge will be who can do what at a higher level for 40 minutes."

What's Next
The Lions travel to San Marcos, Texas to take on the 3-4 Texas State Bobcats
The Bobcats are ready to hit the floor again after a 10-day rest period after their win over UTSA 72-64. Texas State has a 3-4 record this year with wins over St. Edwards, North Texas, and previously mentioned UTSA. The Bobcats have lost to some noble opponents such as Texas A&M, Iowa State, Idaho, and Duke. Texas State averages 55.4 points per game shooting 33 percent from the floor and 30 from three-point range. This season, the Bobcats have had slow beginnings to the halves being outscored by their opponents 131-87 in the first quarter, and giving up 143 points in the third quarter, which is the highest of the four. Sophomore guard Taeler Deer leads the way for the Bobcats dropping 14 points per game, 15 total assists, and 12 steals. Zenarae Antoine is the head coach for Texas State and has been so for five seasons. She enters the game against the Lions with a 63-69 record.

Texas State leads the series between the two programs in wins 4-1. When the Lions and Bobcats first met, the schools names were East Texas University and Southwest Texas University. In the original contest, the Lions took their lone victory in the head-to-head matchup 69-63 in the 1982-83 season. However, in a playoff rematch, the Bobcats took revenge winning the matchup 87-78. That rematch sparked the current three-game winning streak that the Lions will try to dismantle Sunday, December 13 in the Strahan Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 pm.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: A&M-Commerce 67, St. Edwards 53
Records: A&M-Commerce (4-4, 0-0 LSC), St. Edwards (2-6, 0-0 Heartland Conference)
Series: A&M-Commerce are 3-1 against St. Edwards
Location: Recreation and Convocation Center Austin, Texas
Time of Game: 1 p.m.