COMMERCE, TEXAS – A&M-Commerce women's basketball (13-11; 7-7 in LSC) will host the Texas Woman's Pioneers (14-12; 7-8 in LSC) this Wednesday evening for Senior Night, in a game which will decide both teams' opponents in the upcoming LSC Tournament in Allen, Texas.
The two teams, in addition to the Tarleton State TexAnns, are in a quagmire heading into Wednesday's action, as the three teams will assuredly finish between fourth and sixth heading into the LSC Tournament. The only question is where, exactly. If the Lions lose, they will finish sixth in the conference behind fourth place TSU and fifth place TWU, no matter what, and would play the loser of Saturday's showdown in Wichita Falls between Midwestern State and Cameron. With a win over TWU, however, the Lions would instead face Tarleton State in the LSC Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Lions and TexAnns would meet on Saturday on the last game before the tournament to settle who got the fourth seed and who got the fifth seed, but because both teams would meet in the LSC Tournament at a neutral site regardless, that's effectively a moot point. Fans can tune in live as the Lions decide their fate on either 88.9 KETR or 107.1 Thunder Country.
Previously in the season, the Lions and Pioneers met in Denton for what wound up being a thriller. TWU went up early, and controlled the lead for the vast majority of the game. Sophomore forward Emily Spector had the best game of her career, setting career-highs in points (24), blocks (5) and steals (3). Nonetheless, the Lions slowly chipped back, and with only 1:30 remaining in regulation, the Lions tied things at 57-57 to force overtime. In the extra period, A&M-Commerce took over, outscoring the Pioneers 16-4 to coast to the 73-61 come-from-behind overtime win, despite going 0 for 13 as a team from deep for the duration of the game. Abigail Leaupepe-Tele set her career-high with 15 rebounds, coming up huge late in the game and finishing with a double-double.
Other important factors for the Lions in their win over the Pioneers included Princess Davis and Gabby Scott, who each dropped 16 points. Scott's mark would set her career-high in scoring, though she would go on to break it again shortly after against Tarleton State. Kiana Evans meanwhile had an extremely efficient night, scoring 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting from the field and 4 of 4 shooting from the line.
With Senior Night taking place for Wednesday's game, it's fitting that the seniors have played such key roles for the Lions on the year. In addition to the aforementioned Leaupepe-Tele, forward La'Tisha Hearne has been a leader for the Lions on the court. She's pulled down four double-doubles on the year, and has twice been named an LSC Player of the Week, once on offense and once on defense. With 582 career-rebounds, Hearne currently stands as the eighth most-prolific in A&M-Commerce school-history. Meanwhile, guard Ashlee Johnson has been a force in the Lions' backcourt. She ranks sixth in the LSC in steals per game with 1.6, while ranking third in the conference in assists, with 3.9 SPG.
The Pioneers' chief scoring production has come from sophomores Emily Spector and Kenesha Saygo, who each chip in 11 PPG. Spector also serves as the squad's top-rebounder (6.2 RPG), while Saygo is not only TWU's best facilitator (3.0 APG), but ranks fourth in the conference in free throw percentage at 79.1%. Texas Woman's also has a pair of players adept at collecting rare stats. Senior Ashley Salazar ranks second in the LSC in steals (2.1 SPG), while sophomore center Erin Maxwell is the top shot blocker in the conference with 1.9 BPG.
As a team, the Pioneers are one of the best defensive units in the conference, limiting opponents to an LSC-low 37.5 percent from the field. However, they are also the least effective team in the LSC from long range, shooting a paltry 29.3 percent from deep. The Pioneers have displayed better ball-security than the Lions on the year with fewer turnovers, while collecting more steals and blocks as well. The Lions meanwhile possess better scoring numbers (69.9 vs. 63.8 PPG), shooting, and rebounding than TWU.
Tipoff is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Field House. General admission for the double-header costs $8. For children 4 to 12 years old, the price is reduced to $5. For kids three and below, as well as current students with a valid ID, admission is free of charge.
