LAWTON, Okla. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball battled back from a second half deficit but saw two shots on the final possession go missing in a tough 67-66 loss at Cameron University in Aggie Gym on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lions fall to 15-9 overall and 11-7 in Lone Star Conference action with the loss, while Cameron is now 7-17 overall and 6-12 in league play. This is the first divisional loss for the Lions.
 
A&M-Commerce returns home next week for the final two regular season home games. Next on the docket is Eastern New Mexico at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 20.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-  Wayne Stewart (Philadelphia, Pa.) earned his seventh double-double of the season and fourth in succession with 14 points and 15 rebounds. He also added four blocks and four steals.
- Deonta Terrell (Chicago, Ill.) scored 14 points with nine rebounds and four assists.
- Alberto Moreno (Ingenio, Gran Canaria) scored 13 points to round out the Lions' double digit scorers.
- The Lions were limited to a 35.5 percent (22-of-62) shooting percentage and 9-of-32 (28.1) three-point shooting. They were successful on 13-of-14 (92.9 percent) of their free throw attempts.
 
HEAD COACH JARET von ROSENBERG AFTER THE GAME
CLICK HERE for Coach von Rosenberg's postgame comments
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first half, the Lions did not trail by more than one point but could not extend the lead into double figures. After Stewart scored to start the game, the Aggies would get out to an early 6-5 lead. Moreno made a layup and Lara drained a three-pointer to give the Lions a lead they would not relinquish in the half.
 
Neither side pulled away from the other until the latter stages of the half, as Moreno scored five points on a triple and a pair of free throws and Darnell Wright (Chicago, Ill.) hit two shots from the charity stripe to give A&M-Commerce a 35-26 lead with 3:43 to play. Cameron responded with nine straight points to tie the game, but Terrell's late free throw gave the guests a 36-35 lead at the break.
 
The Lions shot 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) in the first half to the Aggies' 48.3 percent (14-of-29). The Lion lead was greatly assisted by outside shooting, as A&M-Commerce made six three-pointers in the first half.
 
Both teams were cold out of the break, as neither side scored in the opening four minutes. A Cameron three-pointer gave the hosts the lead, but Moreno took it right back with a trey of his on the ensuing possession. The Lions still led by one point with 13 minutes to play before a 9-1 Aggie run over the next three minutes, giving the hosts a 49-43 advantage.
 
The Aggies' margin would grow to eight points at 57-49 with 7:04 to play on a pair of free throws, but the Lion defense would hold its hosts without a field goal for over four-and-a-half minutes. This allowed A&M-Commerce to scratch its way back into the game, cutting the lead to one point at 59-58 with 4:21 to go on a Terrell three-point play.
 
A&M-Commerce's normally efficient three-point shooting was struggling in the second half until the final minute of play. Terrell hit a shot from the wing with 58.2 seconds to go to tie the game at 63-all, and Leo Lara (Santa Rosa, Texas) gave the Lions a 66-65 lead with 38.5 seconds left with his long-range connection. Cameron made two free throws with 21 seconds left to take a one-point lead, and the Lions had two shots miss in the final seconds and the Aggies earned the home win.