COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team defeated Tarleton State 89-80 on Tuesday night. The Lions took the lead in the second quarter and led by as many as 23 in the game.
 
The win is the sixth in a row for the Lions. They now have a record of 9-4 and a 4-1 record in the Lone Star Conference. The TexAnns falls to 9-4 on the season and 2-3 in conference play.
 
The Lions return to action on Saturday with a home game against Texas Woman's. The game will be played at 2 p.m. at the Field House. Tickets are available at WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756 or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office in the Field House.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Chania Wright (DeSoto) led the team with 21 points, including five triples. She scored 17 points in the second half in just 11 minutes of action.
- Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) added 18 points, 14 of which came in the first half. She also dished out four assists.
- Alexus Jones (Lewisville - Aledo) had 16 points and four assists, making all six of her free throws. Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
- Agang Tac (Garland - Sachse) led the team with 12 rebounds while Ekaterina Zhibareva (Liske, Russia) had a team-high five assists.
- The Lions shot 45 percent in the game, including 54 percent in the second half. The Lions shot 46 percent from behind the arc.
- A&M-Commerce had 30 second-chance points with 24 offensive rebounds in the game. The Lions finished the game with a +23 rebounding margin.
 
HEAD COACH JASON BURTON AFTER THE GAME
- On Tarleton narrowing the deficit late: "Tarleton stepped up and made a run at the end and made some big time shots. In a game like that, you're just happy to walk away with a win. I thought our girls played a tremendous game. That's a really team right there. We got a lead and held the lead for almost the whole game, but you know a team like that is going to make a run. They're too talented not to. We were able withstand that run because of the cushion we built for ourselves early. Out of halftime, we challenged them to come out of halftime to come out on fire, and they did that."
- On the rebounding advantage: "We had played the same four opponents in conference play, and we talked Monday about how we're leading the league in seven stats. Three key stats were total rebounds, defensive rebounds, and offensive rebounds. What kept us in the game and what allowed us to win the game was how much we dominated the boards and that's been a strength of ours all year – we continue to get to the paint. Having that identity of who we are – we rebound the ball at a high level – and when we can do that we put ourselves in a position to win every game."
- On the high number of turnovers and steals in the game: "Down the stretch, we got a little careless, and they took full advantage of that. A lot of our turnovers came early and came late, but for the bulk of the game, we did a really good job taking care of the ball. When our guards pressure up, it's tough. We send waves, it's not just the starting lineup, it's all of our guards, and they do a great job pressuring."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions opened the game with a three and quickly got off to a 7-3 advantage, with Tac recording two early offensive rebounds to keep the Lions in possession. The Lions held a four-point lead before a run by the TexAnns tied the score at 11 midway through. The Lions had a string of turnovers that allowed TSU its first lead of the game. TSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 19-13 lead into the second quarter.
 
The Lions came out of the quarter break on a tear, scoring the first eight points of the second quarter to regain the lead. Midway through the quarter, the Lions held a 25-23 lead. The Lions caught fire toward the end of the quarter. Trailing by three, the Lions scored 10 in a row to take their largest lead of the half. Davis hit consecutive threes as part of the run. The Lions went into halftime leading 42-35.
 
Davis led all Lions with 14 points in the first half. Jones had seven points and Bryant had six points in the paint and led the team with seven rebounds, including five offensive boards. The Lions had a +21 rebounding margin at the half, pulling in 18 offensive boards. The Lions had 21 second-chance points while holding the TexAnns without a single second-chance point.
 
The Lions pushed their lead to double figures early in the third quarter with a big run. After TSU scored the first basket of the half, the Lions poured in 12-unanswered. Jones hit a three and Wright also had a triple on a fast break. With five minutes left, the Lions led by 17 points. TSU went on a run of their own to cut the Lion lead to 10 points before the Lions pushed back. Wright hit a three at the buzzer and the Lions went into the fourth quarter with a 67-52 lead.
 
The Lions pushed their lead to 20 points early in the fourth quarter. Wright hit a pair of threes to give the Lions a 23-point lead, their largest of the game. Midway through the quarter, the Lions led by 20. The TexAnns attempted a comeback, cutting the Lion lead down to nine points. But the Lions held strong to finish and left with the win.