COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team will face their first Lone Star Conference foe as they take on Cameron University on Thursday. This is the earliest date a conference game has been scheduled for the Lions since 2012.
 
WHO: A&M-Commerce (4-2) vs. Cameron (2-4)
WHEN: Thursday, December 1 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: The Field House in Commerce, Texas
LIVE STATS: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=147054
LIVE VIDEO: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/tamucommerce/
 
A&M-Commerce is coming off of a comeback overtime win on Sunday where they overcame a 17-point second quarter deficit Against Southeastern Oklahoma State. It wasn't a surprise to head coach Jason Burton that his team overcame the odds. He had supreme confidence in his team, even if they were down by 14 at halftime.
 
"The main thing with our team is they fight and scrap," Burton said. "They are never going to stop playing. There is no 14-point play. We had to take it one play at a time and get stops."
 
While some coaches may have lost their temper, Burton decided on a even-keel approach. He knew his team was not far off from where it needed to be. They just needed to see the ball go into the basket and trust in their own abilities.
 
"I didn't feel like there was a need to scream and get mad," he said. "They just needed to come and shoot the ball with confidence and play with some confidence. They came out in the third quarter confident and the ball went into the bucket. At halftime, we had a chance to talk about playing with confidence and shooting with confidence. When our team did that we found success."
 
Burton also credited the veteran players on his roster for stepping up and keeping the ship afloat. He likes the leadership on his team and the mental toughness they have. He specifically mentioned three players who have played big roles for him in the past and who have taken on even more responsibility this season.
 
"When you have players who have been in the system and are veterans, players like Krystal Pickron, Khala Riley, Artaejah Gay and even the transfers we have brought in, they have played some high level basketball," he said. "Once these girls get settled we are going to be fine. Our returners, Khala, Krystal and Tae, they have been there before. I've been in those battles with them before. They've always shown resilience. I never feel like we are out of a game when you have those three. I know how hard they are going to play and how they are going to battle and they are going to bring people with them."
 
While his team trailed by double-digits in each of their games last week, Burton never lost faith. He was confident his team would win both games. They nearly did it against Ouachita Baptist and were successful against Southeastern Oklahoma. While some teams have struggled to find their stride early in the season, Burton thinks his team has yet to play poorly.
 
"There have been teams I have been a part of that you come out and you are not playing well as a team," he said. "You are turning the ball over, you are not guarding. I didn't think that is the case with this team. We just haven't been making shots. Of course we have had some mistakes defensively but they weren't glaring mistakes. We haven't been getting killed on the boards. We are doing things we need to do to win games. We just have to continue to build on the things we have done well."
 
The Lions look to turn around their early-game shooting woes against Cameron. With two new LSC members in Western New Mexico and UT Permian Basin, it adds four additional conference games to the schedule and necessitates starting conference play in December. Burton is glad his team is playing well and gelling early. He knows the opponent also faces an early conference schedule.
 
"I'm glad we get to play at home to start," he said. "I think our team is ready. The good thing is we have had people who have played in the Lone Star Conference before. We are going to rely on our returners. They will lead the way. I am confident in the players that we have in our program. They are hungry to have even more success this year."
 
Both teams come into the game after playing tough non-conference schedules. Burton said he scheduled those games with a purpose, which was to get his team ready to face the gauntlet that is Lone Star Conference play.
 
"We knew that once we got to conference, there are not going to be any off days," he said. "No matter what the team's record is. Cameron struggled a little bit early but they played some good teams. They are going to be battle tested and they are going to be hungry to start conference with a win."
 
The Lions are ranked third in the LSC in scoring while CU is ranked second. Burton knows his team needs to guard well, especially around the three-point line. CU leads the conference in three-point shots at more than 29 attempts per game. They average 9.0 makes per game from behind the arc.
 
"We have to slow them down," Burton said. We have to get out and find the shooters, contest shots and know that there are going to be long rebounds so our guards are going to have to come back and rebound. We've got to guard the three and make sure they don't feel comfortable on the perimeter. If we leave them open, they are going to knock down shots. It's a good ball club."

The game will be a part of "Lion Education Day" as the Lions host numerous local school districts. All tickets will be $1 apiece at the gate. The women's game will be followed immediately by the men's basketball team against Cameron.