COMMERCE– The No. 18 Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team lost 84-62 to Cameron University on Saturday. The Aggies shot a blistering 53 percent in the game and the Lions could not come back.
 
The loss brings A&M-Commerce to 16-4 on the season and 8-3 in the Lone Star Conference. The Aggies improve to 8-12 and 4-7 in conference play.
 
The Lions begin a five-game road swing with a game Thursday night against Western New Mexico. The game will be played at 8:30 p.m. CST at Drag's Court in Silver City, N.M.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Willie Rooks led the Lions with 14 points in the game.
- Reggie Reid had eight points and three assists. Daquane Willford added seven points.
- Dorian Armstrong had six points and eight rebounds. Aaron Horne added six points and seven rebounds.
- The Lions shot 36 percent from the field while Cameron shot 53 percent, including 43 percent from behind the arc.
- CU scored 16 points off of turnovers and had 14 second-chance points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After two free throws from the Aggies started the scoring, Trey Conrod drained a three plus was fouled, converting a four-point play for the Lions. The Aggies scored their first five points from the foul line before scoring their first basket of the game five minutes into the game. With 15 minutes to go, the Aggies held a 7-4 lead.
 
The Aggies then hit consecutive threes to bring their lead up to nine points. Another three brought the CU lead to 16-5. Willford then hit consecutive threes of his own as the Lions brought the Cameron lead back down. Srdan Budimir then converted a three-point play and also hit a three as the Lions cut the Aggie lead to just one.
 
Both teams hit a scoreless patch before Rooks hit a three with six minutes to play to bring the Lions within one point once again. The Aggies then went on a run. CU hit a three and then converted a three-point play to bring their lead up to seven with four and a half minutes left in the half.
 
The Aggies continued to run, eventually pushing the run to 9-0 and taking a 10-point lead. The teams traded baskets in the final two minutes of the half. Rooks and Reid both had threes as the Lions converted their final five shots of the half. A&M-Commerce trailed 41-34 at halftime.
 
Rooks had 10 points to lead the Lions at halftime. Willford added seven points while Budimir had six. The Aggies had three different players in double figures at halftime and shot 48 percent in the first half.
 
The Aggies scored the first five points of the second half as they again established a double-figure lead. The teams then traded baskets for the next five minutes as the Aggie lead hovered around 12 points. The Aggies then went on another run, pushing their lead to 21 points midway through the half.
 
The Lion defense got a few stops in a row and the Lions started a run of their own, scoring seven points in a row to bring the score to 63-49 in favor of Cameron. The Lions cut the Aggie lead down to 14 points before the Aggies brought the lead back up to 21 points with four minutes left in the half.
 
Both teams brought in their reserves to finish the game as the Aggies won the game 84-62.