COMMERCE– The No. 10 Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team defeated Dallas Christian College 92-56 on Monday night. The Lions never trailed in the game.
 
With the win, the Lions move to 15-3 on the season. The Crusaders are 11-6 on the year.
 
The Lions return to Lone Star Conference action on Thursday with a rematch against Midwestern State. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Field House. The Lions defeated MSU in their first matchup 95-77 in December.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Willie Rooks led all scorers with 19 points, draining five threes in the game.
- Trey Washington scored 17 points in his first extended action of the season after returning from a preseason injury. He hit four consecutive threes late in the game.
- Aaron Horne scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Jordan Wilson added a career-high 10 points.
- The Lions scored 23 points off of 16 DCC turnovers.
- The Lions had 45 points from their bench, 36 points in the paint and 18 fast break points.
- The team had 25 assists in the game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Horne scored the first two baskets for the Lions as they jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. After four consecutive points for the Crusaders, the Lions then pulled away, scoring 21 points in a row. Both Horne and Rooks hit shots from long distance as the Lions built their lead to double digits. Rooks then scored five in a row before Budimir scored four. A dunk from Wilson capped off the 21-0 run, with the Lions leading 27-4 midway through the half.
 
The Crusaders finally found a little rhythm, scoring three consecutive buckets to bring the Lions' lead back down. A&M-Commerce answered back by scoring eight in a row, with Rooks hitting consecutive threes, bringing the Lion lead above 30 points. The Lions continued to run and led 51-17 at halftime.
 
Rooks had 16 points at halftime to lead all scorers. He was 4-of-8 from behind the arc in the half. Horne added nine points and Budimir had seven points. A&M-Commerce caused 11 DCC turnovers in the first half, which led to 18 points.
 
The Lions built their lead to 36 points on an opening dunk from Horne. The Crusaders started to match the Lions on the scoreboard, keeping the Lion lead under 35 points for much of the half.
 
The Lions played their younger players for much of the second half, getting multiple freshman extended action. Washington also returned to the lineup and hit consecutive threes midway through the half as the Lions kept their lead above 30 points. With five minutes left, the Lions again led by 36.
 
Washington again hit consecutive threes late in the game as he found a rhythm. The Lions built their lead to 36 once again at the end.