COMMERCE – Ravae Payne turned in her best performance as a member of the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team in the Lions' 80-67 win over the Northeastern State Riverhawks on Sunday afternoon to conclude the eight-game Lion Hoopsgiving presented by Best Western Plus at the Field House this weekend.
 
The Lions entered this week ranked No. 7 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll and No. 4 in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association poll. A&M-Commerce went 3-0 this week, including two wins at home, and is 6-0 on the season. The Riverhawks on the other end are 2-4.  
 
Payne shot 6 for 9 from the field, including two three pointers, and made four free throws for 18 points, which are her most since joining the program last season. Four of the five Lion starters scored in double digits. Dyani Robinson (Langham Creek) scored 12 points, including a buzzer-beater at halftime, as well as grabbing seven rebounds, and tossing six assists.
 
DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) had a double-double with 11 points, which all came in the third quarter and 14 rebounds. Juliana Louis (Long Beach, Calif.) also had a double-double. Louis had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Chania Wright (DeSoto) scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds.
 
Coming into Sunday, the Lions had not trailed in over two games. They were tested early as there were four lead changes in the first quarter and the Lions trailed by as much as three in the quarter. A&M-Commerce fought back to lead by five at the 4:25 mark of the quarter on two free throws by Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star), but led by just one to end the quarter, 19-18.
 
The Lions' largest lead in the first half was six points, a threshold that they reached twice in the second quarter. After a layup by Asiyha Smith (Conway, Ark.) gave A&M-Commerce a 28-22 lead at the 4:51 mark. The Riverhawks took a 29-28 lead thanks to a five-point play.
 
After a layup made by Zaria Collins, she had an and-one opportunity, which she converted. The Lions were also charged with a technical foul on the play and Northeastern State hit both free throws.
 
Trailing by two in the final seconds of the second quarter, Robinson floated in a driving layup as time expired to tie it at 34 going into halftime. The Lions were outshot 40 percent to 33.3 percent in the first half.
 
Kernal and Louis scored the first four points of the second half to put the Lions up front, 38-34, and they extended it to five later in the quarter on a layup by Wright, 44-39. An and-one by Kernal increased the lead to eight.
 
With 26 seconds to go in the quarter, Kernal, who had 11 points in the third quarter, knocked down a layup to give the Lions a 59-48 advantage, their largest of the game up to that point. Their largest lead of the game was 17 points, which they led by twice in the fourth quarter.
 
The Lion bench outscored the Riverhawk bench 22-4. Smith had 10 points on 5 for 7 shooting and two rebounds. Symmone James (McKinney – Boyd) scored six points in the fourth quarter, she had seven in the game as well as four rebounds. Deck had three points and Laila Lawrence (Lewisville) had two.
 
In the second half, A&M-Commerce outshot Northeastern State, 51.2 percent to 46.4 percent.



POSTGAME INTERVIEW
 
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A&M-Commerce continues to remain in Commerce to host Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) on Monday, December 6 at Noon as part of Education Day presented by Alliance Bank.