SILVER CITY, N.M.­– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team got its first conference road win of the season as they downed Western New Mexico 61-47 on Saturday. The Lions scored 19 of the first 21 points and held off a run to shut down WNMU in the fourth quarter.
 
The win brings the Lions to 7-3 on the season and 3-1 in the Lone Star Conference. WNMU falls to 4-6 and 0-4 in conference play.
 
"For us to go into the holiday break 3-1 in conference, we are happy with that," said head coach Jason Burton. "We would have liked to be 4-0 but we will take 3-1. It is tough to win on the road, especially in conference."
 
The game was the final conference game of the 2016 calendar year for the Lions. They will play their final regional game of the calendar year on Saturday Dec. 17 against Henderson State. The game will be at 2 p.m. at the Duke Wells Arena in Arkadelphia, Ark. The Lions next conference game is set for Jan. 5 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions started the game on a 19-2 run. They led for the entire game.
- Artaejah Gay led the Lions with a season-high 22 points. It is her second 20-point game of the year and her fifth game scoring in double digits. Gay also had season-high 10 rebounds, recording her first double-double since Jan. 16.
- Lauren Parker had a productive day for the Lions. She tied her A&M-Commerce high in points (8) and had seven rebounds. She also was a lock-down defender for A&M-Commerce.
- The Lions had 18 assists on their 22 field goals, their highest percentage of the season. Krystal Pickron and Khala Riley each set new career highs as they had seven assists apiece. Riley also had 10 points for the Lions.
- The Lions held Jordan Gutierrez, the Mustangs' leading scorer, to just six points on 3-of-15 shooting. Pickron was charged with shutting down Gutierrez and helped hold her to 20 percent shooting.
- The Lions held WNMU to a 22 percent field goal percentage. A&M-Commerce shot 36 percent form the field. It was the first time in six games that the Lions held the edge in field goal percentage. A&M-Commerce shot 46 percent in the second half.
- The Lions outrebounded WNMU 57 to 39 and outscored the Mustangs 28-14 in the paint.
- Shoniquia Coleman led the Mustangs with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jayla Brown added 10 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions came into the first quarter looking to shoot from long range. Four of their first six shots were from behind the arc and they converted two of them to jump out to a quick 6-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs converted their lone field goal of the quarter with six minutes to play. The Lions again struggled to hit shots early on but had five offensive rebounds in the quarter to give them additional opportunities. The Lions started to get to the free throw line late in the quarter and finished the quarter on a 9-0 run. They went into the second quarter leading WNMU 15-2.
 
The Lions scored the first four points of the second quarter to go up by 17 but then the Mustang offense came alive. They went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead back down to single digits. The Lions struggled with turnovers in the first half, giving the ball up 12 times.
 
The Lions brought their lead back to double digits and the teams proceeded to trade buckets for the remainder of the second quarter. The Lions took a 26-19 lead into the half.
 
Gay led the Lions with eight points and she added four rebounds. Parker and Brianna Wise each had four points. Pickron had three points and seven rebounds. Pickron and Riley each had three assists in the first half. The Lions assisted on eight of their nine field goals in the first half.
 
Both teams struggled from the field. The Lions shot 27 percent from the field while WNMU shot just 18 percent in the first half. The Lions dominated on the boards in the first half. They grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and 33 overall while the Mustangs had 23 rebounds.
 
The Lions started quickly in the third quarter as Gay hit two early shots to push the Lions lead back to double figures. However, the Mustangs began to chip away at the A&M-Commerce lead. In the final four minutes, the lead was trimmed to just four as the Mustangs were hitting their shots and getting to the free throw line. The Lions matched points with WNMU late in the quarter to maintain their slight edge. A&M-Commerce led 45-40 at the end of the third.
 
The Lions scored the first three buckets of the fourth quarter to put their lead back up to double digits. The Mustangs started cold to start the quarter, missing their first six shots. The Lions started the quarter on a 6-0 run as WNMU was held scoreless for the first four minutes.
 
The Lions pushed their lead back up to 12 behind the shooting of Gay and Parker. The Mustangs were held to just 2-of-15 shooting in the final quarter. WNMU was held scoreless for the final three minutes and the Lions hit their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
 
Burton after the game:
 
Holding Gutierrez to six points:
"I thought we did a really good job on their best player. To hold one of the top scorers in the conference to six points, that was our game plan and we executed it. Krystal Pickron was charged with trying to shut her down and we were able to do that. Lauren Parker had the assignment of their second leading scorer and she was limited as well. I was pleased with both Krystal and Lauren on how they played– both offensively and defensively.
 
18 assists on 22 made baskets:
"We had four assists last game and this game we had 18. That's something we talked about as a team. To be able to pull out a win on the road, it is a good feeling. It is tough to win on the road, especially in conference."