OKLAHOMA CITY –  The No. 6 Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team clinched the top seed in the upcoming Lone Star Conference Championship with a 72-56 win over Oklahoma Christian University in the Eagles' Nest on Thursday evening.
 
The Lions move to 26-1 overall and 20-1 in the LSC with the win, while OC is now 7-18 overall and 7-14 in league play.
 
The divisional champion and top-seeded Lions will close the regular season on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Arkansas-Fort Smith.
 
HEAD COACH JASON BURTON AFTER THE GAME
Click HERE for postgame thoughts from HC Jason Burton

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions shot 40.3 percent in the game (29-of-72) after shooting the lights out in the first half.
- A&M-Commerce had an outstanding 55-31 rebounding margin.
- Two players recorded double-doubles for the Lions, led by 17 points and 12 rebounds from Alexis Bryant (Pflugerville). Juliana Louis (Long Beach, Calif.) scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
- DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) led all scorers with 19 points off the bench, also earning eight rebounds and three steals.
- Maddison Glass (Missouri City – Hightower) passed out a career-high nine assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions took an early lead in the game thanks to suffocating defense. From a 2-all tie, A&M-Commerce scored the next 11 points, holding the Lady Eagles scoreless for four-and-a-half minutes on the way to a 13-2 lead. OC cut that lead to 13-9 but Bryant caught fire at the end of the period, pushing the Lions to a 23-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Lions shot 52.6 percent in the opening frame.
 
A&M-Commerce was even more efficient on offense in the second quarter, connecting on 10-of-15 shots (66.7 percent) in the period. Bryant and Agang Tac (Sachse) each started hot in the quarter, as both hit shots from close range. Kernal scored eight points in the quarter, including the Lions' last six on the way to a 45-26 halftime lead.
 
The Lions pushed their lead above 20 points early in the third quarter before the Eagles went on a scoring binge. Oklahoma Christian went on a brief run in the middle of the third quarter, as the Lions went almost six minutes between baskets, but that run by the hosts only cut the Lion lead to 13. A&M-Commerce closed the period strong, scoring 10 of the last 13 points to take a 20-point advantage into the final quarter.
 
The Lion lead continued to climb in the final quarter, as the Lion reserves continued their efficient scoring. Kernal and Dyani Robinson (Cypress - Langham Creek) each had a pair of buckets in the quarter as the Lions pushed their lead to as many as 24 in the quarter. The defensive effort was also high as A&M-Commerce continued to cause OC turnovers. OC cut into the lead in the final minutes, but the Lions left the court clinching the No. 1 seed in the LSC.