COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. The Lions trailed by 19 at the half and retook the lead late in the second half only to have it slip away.
 
The loss drops the Lions to 16-6 on the season and 8-5 in the Lone Star Conference. ENMU jumps to 9-14 and 3-10 in conference play.
 
The Lions return to action on Thursday as they host Angelo State University. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Field House.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- A&M-Commerce took its first lead of the game with four and a half minutes to play in the game after trailing by as many as 23 early in the second half. However, the Lions could not build a lead higher than two points and fell in the final minute of the game.
- Malik Albert led the Lions with 24 points. He also tallied two steals and three blocks.
- Montrell Little scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
- Trey Seymore scored eight points to go along with five rebounds and six assists.
- The Lions scored 23 points off of 19 ENMU turnovers.
- The Lions struggled from behind the arc, shooting 3-of-22 (13.6%) from three. The Greyhounds shot 6-of-10 from downtown.
- Four Greyhounds finished in double figures, with Chris Lewis, Chris Wyms and Lamarquis Thompson each scoring 13 points. Joe Clarke added 12 for ENMU.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions fell behind early as the Greyhounds got off to a 7-2 lead after the first three minutes of the game. Little scored the first two baskets for the Lions and Albert then had three consecutive shots fall from inside the paint, one of which was a dunk. With seven minutes gone in the first half, the Lions trailed by one.
 
ENMU then went on a 9-0 run over a two-minute stretch to take a double-digit lead midway through the first half. Four different Greyhounds scored as part of the run. The Lions fought back, with Little, Albert and Seymore all getting buckets to cut the lead down to just six with five minutes to play.
 
ENMU finished the first half on a 13-0 run and took a 40-21 lead into the half. Albert had 12 points at halftime for the Lions. Little added seven. Just three Lions got on the scoreboard in the first half.
 
The Greyhounds pushed their lead to a game-high 23 points with 16 minutes left in the second half. After that, the Lions responded with 34-10 run to take the lead with four and a half minutes left in the game.
 
Albert converted a three-point play and had nine points as part of the run. Little and Seymore chipped in as well, with Little scoring seven points and Daquane Willford scoring six points. Willford got into the lane and buried a layup to give the Lions their first lead with 4:39 to play.
 
The Greyhounds took the lead back on the next possession. Albert then had a layup to put the Lions ahead once again, 62-61. However, two was as large as the Lion lead would get. ENMU hit a three on its next possession to go up by one. Then, after a layup by Little at the 2:20 mark, the Lions took their final lead of the game.
 
A&M-Commerce was held scoreless for the final two minutes and the Greyhounds converted their free throws down the stretch to extend their lead out of reach.