KINGSVILLE – The No. 5 Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team picked up a 72-54 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday afternoon. After a tightly contested first half, the Lions jumped out hot in the second half to run away with the win.
 
The win brings the Lions to 15-0 on the season and 9-0 in the Lone Star Conference. The Javelinas fall to 3-8 on the year and 2-7 in conference play.
 
The Lions return home to face Arkansas Fort Smith on Thursday. The game will be played at 5:30 p.m. at the Field House.
 
HEAD COACH JASON BURTON AFTER THE GAME
- On the win: "This was a huge game. It is the first game of the second half of the season and we needed to find a way to get this win. And that is our ninth conference win in a row. That's what is important right now, because it is a marathon with 22 conference games. To be able to get wins on the road in this conference is huge."
- Key to the win: "We did a good job of taking care of the basketball. I thought that was the difference in the game. We got outrebounded for maybe the first time all year. But to not get those extra shots we usually get, we needed to find a way to take care of the basketball."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Chania Wright (DeSoto) led the way with 18 points, hitting eight shots while also grabbing four rebounds.
- Juliana Louis (Long Beach, Calif.) added 11 points and five rebounds, scoring five of her seven shots. She also had seven steals.
- Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville) also had 11 points and five rebounds, and led the way defensively with a pair of blocks.
- The Lions scored 32 points off of 26 Javelina turnovers, and had 21 fast break points in the game.
- A&M-Commerce led by as many as 26 and led for more than 39 minutes in the game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a slow start on offense for both teams, as each team had just one field goal in the first four minutes of the game. The Lions were then able to build a lead on a 10-0 run over the next several minutes to lead 12-3.  The Javelinas hit a pair of late threes to get their offense going. A&M-Commerce led 16-11 at the quarter break.
 
The Lions got off to a hot start to begin the second quarter. Wright hit three open buckets early as part of an 8-0 run that gave the Lions a double-figure lead, leading 24-11. The Javelinas fought back to get within seven points late in the half. The Lions went into halftime with a 31-23 lead.
 
The Lions shot 42 percent in in the first half, including 60 percent in the first quarter. Wright led the team with six points, while Louis added five. The Lions caused 13 Javelina turnovers in the half, turning them into 13 points. A&M-Kingsville was able to grab nine offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second chance points.
 
The Lions began the second half on a tear, scoring the first 10 points of the half. The Lion defense swarmed the Javelinas and again caused problems, which the Lions turned into easy offense. Another quick run put the Lions up by 20 points, as the Lion press defense began to wear on A&M-Kingsville. At the end of the third quarter, the Lions held a 54-29 lead.
 
 A&M-Kingsville fought early in the quarter to cut the Lion led from 20 down to just 15 points. However, the Lions kept their pressure and continued to cause turnovers, getting the win.