DENTON – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team stepped out of the Division II realm Wednesday night for an exhibition game at the University of North Texas, falling 102-53 in The Super Pit.
 
The Lions' regular season record remains steady at 3-0 entering this weekend's action at the Comfort Inn Classic in Gunnison, Colo. A&M-Commerce's first game in the tournament will be against Colorado Mesa (1-1) at 5:30 p.m. MST (6:30 p.m. CST).
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions were led in scoring by Trey Conrod (Kilgore), who netted 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
- Reggie Reid (Harlem, Ga.) scored 10 points in the game, passed out two assists, and grabbed two rebounds.
- Tyree Robinson (Fall River, Mass.) led both teams with eight rebounds. He also scored six points. Deonta Terrell (Chicago, Ill.) scored seven points off the bench.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mean Green started the game off by making the first three shots before Conrod's layup at the 17:38 mark put the Lions on the board. UNT's Jorden Duffy had 10 early points to give the hosts the double digit lead with three minutes gone.
 
Conrod netted the Lions first eight points of the night with contested scores. He and Carson Tuttle (Mukilteo, Wash.) strung together a pair of baskets to cut the lead back down to 17-8. Terrell and Rodney Brown (Beaumont – West Brook) would score three points apiece in the middle of the period.
 
Reid scored five points on consecutive possessions, but the Mean Green's hot shooting allowed the home team to pull away. The Lions were held off of the scoresheet for the final three and a half minutes, and UNT took a 53-27 lead into the locker room. The Lions shot 35.7 percent (10-of-28) in the first half, but made only 2-of-12 three-pointers. North Texas shot 56.3 percent (18-of-32) in the half, including 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) on three-pointers.
 
The Lions took the floor with renewed energy in the second half, as Robinson drove for a layup, Reid drained a three-pointer, and Willie Rooks (Houston – North Forest) hit a jumper. The Mean Green then went on a surge to pull away further.
 
Multiple A&M-Commerce players showed toughness in the paint to score in the second half. Conrod, Vernon Lowndes (Charleston, S.C.), and Robinson all scored multiple baskets down the stretch.