Box Score WACO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team faced off against No. 2 Baylor University in exhibition action at the Ferrell Center on Thursday night, with the Lions losing to the Lady Bears 127-61.
 
The game does not count against either team's record. The Lions begin the regular season on Friday, November 9, at 11 a.m., taking on Colorado State-Pueblo in the first game of the Taj Hospitality Classic at Lubbock Christian.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Ekaterina Zhibareva (Liske, Russia) scored 12 points to lead the Lions in scoring. 11 Lions found the scoresheet, including eight players new to the squad.
- Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) scored seven points, dished out three assists, and snagged two steals.
- Alexus Jones (Aledo) scored nine points, Maddison Glass (Missouri City – Hightower) scored seven points, and Mykiel Burleson (Pflugerville) scored six.
- The Lions shot 38.3 percent (18-of-47) from the floor, including 7-of-19 (36.8 percent) on three-point attempts.
- The Lions' 61 points scored was more than 25 of Baylor's regular season opponents in the 2017-18 season.
- Additionally, based on available records on Baylor's website, the Lions' 61 points is the most points scored against the Lady Bears by a college team in an exhibition contest going since the early George W. Bush administration. Emporia State's 60 points in 2016 are the most listed points in an exhibition game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions faced a drastic size difference in the low post against the Lady Bears, but were able to disrupt shots in the post early. Zhibareva's old school three-point play with 6:35 left in the first quarter cut an early Baylor lead to 5-3. Burleson drained a three-pointer and Zhibareva scored the Lions' final seven points of the first quarter. The Lions trailed 32-13 after the opening period.
 
A&M-Commerce outscored Baylor in the early minutes of the second quarter, cutting the lead all the way down to 13 points at 36-23. Three-pointers by Davis, Jones, and Jocelyn Pierce (Argyle) helped the Lions' early surge in the period. Baylor took a 56-30 lead into the halftime break.
 
Baylor exhibited strong shooting prowess throughout the second half, but the Lions still showed glimpses of play that have potential to translate well to the regular season. Zhibareva and Agang Tac (Sachse) made toughly contested buckets in the paint in the third quarter.
 
In the fourth quarter, Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) connected on a traditional three-point play and Jones drained a contested three-pointer from the corner. The Lions were undeterred by the size differential, creating multiple free throw opportunities on fouls in the paint.