GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The seventh-seeded Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team held a halftime lead, but was unable to recover from a third quarter scoring drought, falling 75-65 to second-seeded Colorado Mesa University in the South Central Regional Quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Basketball Championship on Friday night.
 
The Lions – who were making their second postseason appearance in program history – finish up their season with a record of 20-11. The Lions made their first tournament appearance since 2007.
 
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Jason Burton
On the game plan and execution: "We put together a heck of a game. We came out and played the first half exactly how we wanted to play and the third quarter got away from us. We dug a hole in the third quarter and didn't have enough time on the clock to recover. I take the blame for that – I've got to make some better adjustments in the third quarter and do some things differently. I didn't do that. We were playing against a heck of a ball club who's had a great season all year. They're undefeated at home for a reason. They had a great crowd, they had a great atmosphere, and their coach does a great job."
 
On defensive pressure against CMU: "That's just what we do. I thought that was going to be an advantage for us because a lot of their last few games, teams played them inside the three-point line and that's just not how we play. This is a team that executes at a high level and if you let them get comfortable and do what they want to do, they're going to get great looks. So we tried our best to make them uncomfortable the entire game. When you look at the stat sheet, we forced 17 turnovers and only had 11, we out-rebounded them. The x-factor was the three-point line. They did a great job of knocking down big threes and at the end of the day, that's what cost us the game."
 
On his team and their season: "I'm really proud of this team. This is the second time in school history that we've made the postseason and the first time since 2007. We started this year with three returners, so what were able to put together as a team is very special. Princess Davis changed the culture of A&M-Commerce women's basketball. I'm also proud of the new players who came in and bought into what we wanted to do. They played unselfishly, didn't care who scored, didn't care who got the accolades, they just wanted to win. I'm really excited about the eight we've got coming back, but I can't give enough credit to our two seniors."
 
Alexis Bryant
On offensive rebounding: "When they miss, I go get it. I wanted to win and was able to get a few more offensive rebounds because they don't box out as well. I knew I would be able to do well on the offensive boards."
 
Princess Davis
On her effort in Friday's game: "I came in with the mindset that this could be my last go-round, so I was going to do whatever I needed to do, whether that's being all over the floor or focusing on one area. I wanted to make as much of an impact as I could for my team."
 
On NCAA Tournament experience in her senior season: "It's been a great experience. With it being my first trip in my last year, the feeling is unreal. I enjoy playing with these girls and I appreciate them and the coaching staff. I couldn't have done it without them, so I'm very appreciative to even make it this far. I think we had a great season."
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- In what turned out to be her final game in a Lion uniform, Princess Davis (Shreveport, La.) scored 17 points, dished out five assists, grabbed four rebounds, and snagged four steals. She led the Lions in scoring and was one of four A&M-Commerce players in double digit scoring.
- Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) had her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, with eight of those rebounds coming on the offensive end of the floor.
- Chania Wright (DeSoto) scored 12 points and Mykiel Burleson (Pflugerville) scored 11 points off the bench.
- The Lions shot 37.1 percent (23-of-62) from the floor, while Colorado Mesa made 25-of-47 (53.3 percent) of its shots from the field. CMU made 12 three-pointers, marking only the second game all year where Lion opposition made double-digit totals from long range.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions were able to jump out to an early lead, forcing the Mavericks into early foul trouble in the guard positions. Bryant scored a three-point play on the game's first possession and Davis' free throws had the Lions up five points in the first minute of the game. A&M-Commerce scored well at the free throw line, but CMU closed the first quarter on a 7-2 run, and the Mavericks led 20-18 after that period.
 
Wright made a layup to start the second quarter scoring, and the lead changed hands multiple times in the period, as neither team led by more than two possessions in the entire first half. CMU was up 30-27 with two minutes left in the frame, but the Lions closed the half on an eight-point surge. Three Bryant free throws, an Agang Tac (Sachse) breakaway layup, and a Burleson buzzer-beating three-pointer gave the Lions a 35-30 lead at halftime.
 
Out of the halftime break, Mesa immediately erased the deficit, but the Lions counterpunched with a Bryant layup and Wright three-pointer to go back up five. Bryant made a layup to break a tie at the 4:28 mark, giving A&M-Commerce a 44-42, but that would be the last time the Lions scored in the quarter. Five missed shots and two turnovers by the Lions allowed the Mavericks to close the quarter on a 17-0 run, and the Lions were behind by a 59-44 count with 10 minutes to play.
 
The Lions battled to the bitter end in the fourth quarter, and cut the Maverick advantage to as few as eight points in the final two minutes. Colorado Mesa made only one field goal in the final five minutes, but the hosts were able to sink clutch free throws down the stretch and knock out the Lions despite a 21-16 TAMU scoring advantage in the final quarter.