San Marcos-- The Lions drop their fifth consecutive game against Texas State Sunday, December 13 losing 80-60 in the Strahan Coliseum.

TEAM LEADERS
A&M-Commerce
Points: Shomari Harris, 13
Rebounds: Amari Jones, 11
Assists: Shomari Harris, 4
Steals: Two players tied with one steal each
Blocks: Two players tied with one block each

Texas State
Points: Kaitlin Walla, 23
Rebounds: Ericka May, 7
Assists: Ericka May, 5
Steals: Ericka May, 3
Blocks: Ti'Aira Pitts, 1
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Lions had 12 turnovers total in the game. Six came in the third quarter alone.
• A&M-Commerce outrebounded Texas State 38-36 in the game but was outrebounded 33-23 on the defensive boards.
• The Lions outscored the Bobcats 32-24 in the paint, and 16-3 on second chance points.
• After shooting 41.7% from the floor in the first half, the Lions shot 28.6% in the second half and was 0-of-6 from the three point line.
• A&M-Commerce finished 5-of-20 from beyond the arc.
• Kaitlin Walla shot 5-of-8 from three-pint range and had a game high of 23 points.
• Walla is a sophomore guard returning off of an ACL injury suffered in January of 2015.
• The Bobcats shot 56.9% overall, 47.6% from the three-point line, and 66.7% from the stripe.
• Shomari Harris led the Lions in scoring and assists for the second consecutive game.
• Amari Jones had a game high of 11 rebounds.

1st Half
Khala Riley started off the game hot scoring the first five points for the Lions shooting 2-of-3 from the field including one from three-point land. Artaejah Gay chipped in throughout the quarter for the Lions finishing the quarter with six points and shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. Even though the quarter was close, Texas State ended the first quarter on a 5-0 run and went into the second quarter with a 23-17 lead. Kaitlin Walla came out scorching hot in the first quarter with eight points including back-to-back three pointers to gain a 19-14 lead over the Lions.
 
The Lions diminished the six-point lead to start the quarter by going on a 12-7 run and cutting the Bobcat lead down to one at 30-29. The Lions fought hard on the boards and was in the game due to scoring 11 second chance points to the Bobcats zero. However, much like the end of the first quarter, the Bobcats went on a 6-0 run and went into the locker rooms in a tightly contested 44-38 game. Artaejah Gay and Shomari Harris had a team high of seven points after the first half of play. Harris also led the team with four assists. Texas State shot an impressive 58.1 percent from the floor and went 5-of-11 from beyond the arc in the first half. Kaitlin Walla continued to lead the Bobcats by cashing in 13 points and shot 50 percent from the three-point line.
 
2nd Half
After a close first half, Texas State made major adjustments at the half and held the Lions to ten points in the entire third quarter. The Lions had six turnovers in the quarter alone after just four total at halftime. In addition to the turnovers, the Lions shot 33.3 percent on 4-of-16 shooting that aided the Bobcats in extending their lead. Ericka May entered double figures in scoring with 13 points for the Bobcats after dropping six of the Bobcats 17 total points in the third quarter. The Lions entered the fourth quarter down 61-48.
 
The final period of play was similar to the third quarter as the Bobcats continued to poor it on the Lions with their shooting. Texas State extended their lead to 21 points in the quarter and just padded their stats as they dominated the second half. After shooting 41.7 percent in the first half, the Lions went 8-28 in the second half and went 0-of-6 from the three-point line. The Bobcats shot over 55 percent throughout the entire game and finished at 47.6 percent on the three balls shooting 10-of-21. Shomari Harris led the team in scoring for the second straight game with 13 points as well as in assists with four. Khala Riley was behind her with ten points but only made two field goals, which came in the first five minutes of the game. Riley was 5-of-6 at the free throw line. Kaitlin Walla, Ericka May, and Toshua Leavitt all scored in double figures with 23, 15, and 10 points respectively. Walla had the hot hand all game hitting five three pointers on eight attempts. May shot 70 percent from the floor and led Texas State with seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals.  

Burton's Corner
"The biggest in the game was the three-point shot. In the first half, both teams made five three pointers. In the second half, Texas State made five more while we made none. Texas State is a tough place to shoot in the second half. One side has the backdrop and the other is just the arena side. Going from the backdrop side to the side without the backdrop is a big adjustment. It may not seem as though for a fan but it plays a difference. Texas State also capitalized on our mistakes. On top of that, shooting roughly 55 percent throughout the game with limited turnover would make it tough for any team to beat. We did do well as a team on the things we emphasized on such as taking care of the ball, and taking charges. When we stuck to the game plan, we were successful. We just went away from the plan at times in the second half."

GAME INFORMATION
Score: A&M-Commerce 60, Texas State 80
Records: A&M-Commerce (4-5, 0-0 LSC), Texas State (4-4, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference)
Series: A&M-Commerce are 1-5 against Texas State
Location: Strahan Coliseum San Marcos, Texas
Time of Game: 4 p.m.