STEPHENVILLE – The No. 8 Texas A&M University- Commerce women's basketball team used a four-quarter effort to knock off Tarleton 72-63 on Saturday afternoon. The game was back and forth throughout until the Lions made a late push to get the win.
 
The win brings the Lions to 11-0 on the season and 5-0 in the Lone Star Conference. The 11 consecutive wins ties a program record, which was set in 2006-07. The Texans fall to 6-4 on the year and 1-4 in conference play.
 
The Lions now go into the holiday break, and will return to action on January 2 at home against Cameron. The game will be played at 5:30 p.m. at The Field House in Commerce.

 HEAD COACH JASON BURTON AFTER THE GAME
- On getting the win: "I'm proud of this team. They kept their poise in the second half. We knew we would face some adversity. And I thought they kept their head the whole time. They stuck with it and kept believing the whole time. That's not always easy to do on the road. But they stayed together. And that's the sign of a championship team. We just have to keep that going."
- On having Coach Denny Downing in the building when the team tied the win-streak record: "He was a little choked up at the end. He's very proud of the program. He built this program and laid the foundation for us. For him to be here, it meant a lot. He thinks this team can go a long way."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The win is the 11th in a row for the Lions, tying the program record. The last time the Lions won 11 games in a row was the 2006-07 season en route to their appearance in the Elite 8.
- Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) had 15 points in the game and had a team-high nine rebounds.
- Dyani Robinson (Cypress – Langham Creek) also scored 15 points, many of them coming in transition.
- Chania Wright (DeSoto) also scored 15 points, hitting a pair of late threes that closed out the game for the team.
- The Lions scored 38 points in the paint, forcing the ball inside on multiple possessions.
- There were 13 ties and 10 lead changes in the game. The Lions took the lead for good with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
- The win is the 99th in Jason Burton's A&M-Commerce career.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams struggled from the field throughout the first quarter. The lead changed hands multiple times through the quarter, as both teams played tough defense and neither could establish a lead. Bryant and Robinson each had four points in the period, as the teams were tied at 10 after one period of play.
 
The Lions scored the first two baskets of the second quarter to give themselves a slight lead. TSU then went on a 5-0 run to regain the lead. Midway through the quarter, the teams were tied at 20. Both teams improved their shooting percentage in the quarter and each team was able to get second chance points. After TSU went on a run to take a five-point lead, the Lions responded with a 5-0 run of their own to again tie the game. A late three by the Texans sent TSU into halftime with a 36-33 lead, the first time the Lions had trailed at halftime all season.
 
Robinson led the Lions with 10 points in the first half, shooting 56 percent from the field. Bryant and Glass each added seven points. The teams traded leads and ties throughout the half, as the teams had nine ties and nine lead changes. The Lions had the advantage in the paint, scoring 18 points down low.
 
After TSU pushed their lead to five early, the Lions went on a 7-0 to regain the lead. The lead changed hands several times once again, as neither team could pull away. That changed in the final three minutes, as the Lions went on a 10-2 run to close the quarter. The Lions were able to get multiple turnovers and transition buckets to take a 54-46 lead into the final quarter. It was a lead the Lions would not relinquish.
 
The Lions built their lead to as many as seven early in the fourth quarter before the Texans went on a run, cutting the Lion lead to just two points with four minutes left. However, the Lions were not rattled, and closed out the game. Wright hit a pair of late threes and also made two clutch free throws as the Lions built their lead to as many as 11 in the final minute.