COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team defeated Western New Mexico 75-58 on Saturday. The Lions built a lead early and slowly built upon it throughout the game.
 
The win brings the Lions to 9-0 on the season and 4-0 in the Lone Star Conference. It is the best start to the season for the Lions since 1947-48, when the team started the season with 10 consecutive wins. The Mustangs fall to 2-8 and 0-4 in conference play.
 
The Lions will next take the court on Friday in a tournament hosted by Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Lions will face Rogers State on Friday at 6 p.m. and the host, Arkansas-Fort Smith, on Saturday at 5 p.m. Both games will be played at the Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith, Ark.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Reggie Reid led the Lions with 15 points and also had a team-high five assists.
- Willie Rooks had 14 points, burying four three pointers. He had two assists and two steals.
- Srdan Budimir had nine points and a team-high nine rebounds. Dorian Armstrong and Aaron Horne also had nine points apiece.
- The Lions shot 42 percent in the game. WNMU was held to a 23 percent shooting clip in the first half.
- The Lions had 17 second-chance points in the game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After WNMU scored the first bucket, the Lions scored 14 unanswered as it was their only deficit of the game. Budimir had a three-pointer and a jumper as the Lions led 14-2 with 12:58 remaining in the half.
 
The Mustangs chipped away at the lead, bringing it down to eight points before the Lions went on a late run in the final four minutes. They finished the half on a 7-0 run, including a buzzer-beating three from Rooks. The Lions took a 33-18 lead into halftime.
 
Armstrong led the team with seven points in the first half. Reid had six points and four assists.
 
The Lions built their lead to 18 points early in the second half. Horne and Rooks each hit a three as A&M-Commerce led 44-26. WNMU cut the Lion lead back down to 12 with a 6-0 run but their momentum was halted.
 
The Lions built their lead to the largest of the contest, a 59-35 lead, midway through the second half.
 
The Mustangs cut back into the lead, going on an 11-2 run to cut the Lion lead to 14 points with five minutes remaining. That was as close as the Mustangs would come, as the Lions held firm and left with the win.