Commerce, Texas – West Texas A&M handed A&M-Commerce its third straight loss despite a pair of 20-point performances from Bryant Crowder and Anthony Adams Wednesday night in a cross-state rival showdown in The Field House.
 
Turning Point
- After A&M-Commerce took a five-point lead into the half, but with WT trailing 42-40 with 16:52 left in the second, the Buffs mounted a 14-3 run over the next four minutes to take a nine-point lead, 54-45. The Buffs used three triples during the clutch run.
 
Highlights
- Crowder paced the Lions with 23 points after going 11-of-16 from the floor.
 
- Adams followed suit with 21 points after making six of his 13 shots from the floor. He also converted eight of his nine free throw attempts.
 
- Everrett Pleasants was the third Lion in double figures with 16 points and team-high eight rebounds.
 
- The Lions finished 45 percent from the floor, 27 percent, 4-of-15, from beyond the 3-point arc and 59 percent, 19-of-32, from the charity stripe.  The Buffs ended at 39 percent overall, 36 percent, 13of-36, from long range and 80 percent, 16-of-20, from the free throw line.
 
- WT outrebounded the Lions 44-40 and 15-11 on the offensive glass. However, A&M-Commerce held a 15-9 advantage on second chance points.
 
- A&M-Commerce out scored WT 40-26 in the paint, but the Buffs out scored the Lions 39-12 from behind the 3-pt arc.
 
- The WT bench outscored the A&M-Commerce bench 41-13.
 
Inside the box score
- The loss drops the Lions to 12-5 overall and 2-3 in the Lone Star Conference.  It is the first three-game losing streak since the 2013-14 season.
 
- West Texas' David Chavolich became the third person to notch 30 points against the Lions. Chavlovich finished with 31 points after going 9-of-22 from the field and 6-of-14 from long range.
 
- The Lions had a pair of 20-point games for the second time this season. Jeremy Jones and Adams scored 22 points and 21 points respectively at Henderson State.
 
- Adams scored 20 points for the sixth time in his two-year Lion career, while Crowder notched 20 plus points for the fifth time while in his first season with the Lions.
 
Summary
1st Half
- The first frame saw eight ties and four lead changes. After exchanging the lead through the first seven minutes, WT took a five point lead, 25-20, with 6:02 left to play.  The Lions mounted 10-0 sparked by six points from Crowder including two demonstrative dunks from the 6'9" forward to take a 30-25 lead with two and a half minutes remaining.
 
- A&M-Commerce pushed the lead to as high as eight points, 35-27, with 51 seconds left before taking a 35-30 lead into the break.
 
2nd Half
- West Texas forced two ties before flipping a 42-40 deficit into a 54-45 lead with 12:29 left to play following a 14-3 run.
 
- The Buffs led by as many as 13 points, 72-59, with 5:24 left to play, before the Lions chiseled away at the lead cutting the margin down to five points, 79-74, with 1:23 left to play. However WT, claimed the victory after going a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the waning seconds for the 85-81 win.
 
What's Next?
- The Lions travel to Eastern New Mexico for tipoff against the Greyhounds at 5 p.m. central time/4 p.m. mountain time in Portales.  The Greyhounds enter the game at 4-13 overall and 0-5 in league play after an 89-71 loss on the road at Tarleton State Wednesday.
 
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.