COMMERCE – The No. 21 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team has started 8-1 for the first time since 2017-18 and appearing in both national rankings as it heads into Lone Star Conference play. The Lions look to take their eighth straight game against Midwestern State on Friday afternoon.
 
WHO: Midwestern State at A&M-Commerce
WHERE: Commerce | Field House
WHEN: Friday, December 31, 4 p.m.
RECORDS: The TAMUC Lions are 8-1 overall, the Mustangs are 4-7. Friday's game is the conference opener for both teams.   
RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 21 in the Division II Sports Information Directors rankings and receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches rankings.
 
WATCH: https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/tamuc/
LISTEN: KETR 88.9 FM https://www.ketr.org/
LIVE STATS: http://statb.us/b/372602
GAME NOTES: TAMUC
 
FAN APPRECIATION DAY
• Friday's game is free for all fans as part of Fan Appreciation Day.  
 
LIONS APPEAR IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
• In the latest polls released prior to the holiday break, the Lions are ranked in one and just outside the top-25 in the other national poll.
• A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 21 in the D2SIDA poll, its first time being nationally ranked since 2019-20.
• The Lions are receiving votes in the latest NABC poll, they have appeared in the receiving votes category in each of the last two weeks.
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE MUSTANGS
• The Lions are 40-55 against the Mustangs, but have won the last seven games. They have not lost in the Jaret von Rosenberg era.
• A&M-Commerce cruised to a 73-48 win on December 16 in Wichita Falls, allowing just 17 points in the second half.
• Dating back to 2016-17, the Lions are 4-0 in Commerce against the Mustangs.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
• Midwestern State is 4-7 on the season, its last game before the holiday break also came against A&M-Commerce.
• The Mustangs are averaging 14.9 offensive rebounds per game, which is seventh in the nation. They are top-45 in the country with an average of 39.7 rebounds per game.   
 
RECORD-SETTING START
• The two Lion basketball teams have combined for a record of 19-1 to start the season, which is among the best in the country among alll levels of NCAA Basketball.
• The 19-1 start is also the best start in
program history, shattering the previous best was 9-1 in 2016-17.
 
Best Combined Starts in 2021-22

Amherst (NCAA DIII)	15-0	1.000
LSU (NCAA DI)	24-1	0.960
Iowa State (NCAA DI)	23-1	0.958
Lubbock Christian (NCAA DII)	23-1	0.958
Arizona (NCAA DI)	21-1	0.955
A&M-Commerce (NCAA DII)	19-1	0.950
Colorado State (NCAA DI)	19-1	0.950
NYU (NCAA DIII)	17-1	0.944
St. Lawrence (NCAA DIII)	14-1	0.933

 
LEADING THE NATION IN BLOCKING
• A&M-Commerce is blocking 6.9 shots per game, which leads the nation.
• The Lions blocked 11 shots in the win over Harding and nine against Oklahoma Christian.
• Clashon Gaffney's 4.0 blocks per game lead NCAA Divison II.
 
GAFFNEY TIES PROGRAM RECORD
• Clashon Gaffney had seven blocks in 65-63 win over Oklahoma Christian, which ties the program record.
• Gaffney has totaled four or more blocks in all but two games.
 
FREE THROW SHOOTING BEATS UAFS
• The Lions did not make a field goal in the last five minutes against UAFS, but knocked down all eight free throws to hold off the Lions, 68-65.
• UAFS trimmed a 14-point deficit down to one point.
 
DEFENSE CLAMPS DOWN AGAINST MSU
• A&M-Commerce allowed just 17 points to Midwestern State to roll to a 73-48 win.
• The Mustangs were held to shoot 17.6 percent from the field in the second half.
 
IT MATTERS HOW YOU FINISH
• The Lions trailed for over 34 minutes at DBU, but held the Patriots to three points in the last three minutes to escape Dallas with a 72-70 win.
• They overcame an early 10 point deficit in the first half, and led for just 2 minutes and 33 seconds.
 
ALMOST HAD ANOTHER ONE
• The Lions led for over 30 minutes at Division I South Alabama.
• A&M-Commerce led by as much as 15 points, looking for second win this season against a NCAA Division I team.
 
THIS LION IS ON FIRE
• Jairus Roberson has scored 121 points through three games this season, 96 of the points have come beyond-the-arc.
• Against Ouachita Baptist, he scored 10 points in overtime, outscoring the Tigers 10-6 in the extra period.
• His eight made three pointers in win over OBU are tied for second-most in program history with current assistant coach Willie Rooks.
•He is averaging 3.6 three pointers made per game, which is 14th in the country.
 
NO...NO...NO...NOT TODAY!
• Clashon Gaffney is averaging 4.0 blocks per game through the first eight games, leading the LSC.
• The Lions lead the LSC with an average of 6.9 blocks per game.
• Gaffney has had five blocks or more in four games.
 
GAFFNEY NAMED DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
• After a record-setting performance against Oklahoma Christian, Clashon Gaffney was named LSC Defender of the Week.
• He is the first Lion honored  by the conference since 2019-20.
 
LIONS LOVE BUZZER-BEATERS
• The Lions have made three buzzer-beaters from near half court this season.
• Augustine Ene drilled a jumper to beat the buzzer and tie the game at 28 against Seattle Pacific.  
• Jairus Roberson beat the first-half buzzer against Ouachita Baptist from about 40 feet away.
• Alphonso Willis also made his buzzer-beater from about 40-feet away. His shot gave the Lions the win at UTSA.
 
EXPERIENCED NEWCOMERS
• All four newcomers to the program have seen the court this season. Division I transfers Clashon Gaffney and Jairus Roberson as well as Young Harris College transfer Alphonso Willis as well as freshman Monyae Davis.
 
BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER
• Carson Tuttle (Mukilteo, Wash.) and Rodney Brown (Beaumont – West Brook) were sidelined most of the season last year due to injury, but have returned this season.
 
WILLIS FOR THREE!
• Alphonso Willis delivered a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer against UTSA. Lions won the game 65-62, their first win over a Division I opponent since 2014.
• The game-winning shot was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 and has been viewed over 100K times across all social media platforms.
 
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
• The Southland Conference, following the unanimous approval of its presidential Board of Directors, has extended an invitation of membership to Texas A&M University-Commerce, the league and institution announced Tuesday morning.  The university, a longstanding NCAA Division II power located an hour east of Dallas, will officially join the Southland on July 1, 2022, and begin a four-year transition into Division I at the same time.
• Touting a "Best in Class" mission, mentality, and experience, Lions' athletics features sponsorship of 14 varsity sports, including men's sports of football, basketball, golf, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field.  Women's sports include basketball, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field.
The Lions have seen remarkable success in recent years, including winning the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship, highlighting five consecutive postseason football berths since 2015.  Overall, 53 A&M-Commerce athletic teams have earned NCAA postseason bids since 2015, including a record 11 teams in 2018-19.  Other performance highlights include individual NCAA track and field national championships, an NCAA softball regional championship, and multiple recent NCAA berths in volleyball, and men's and women's basketball.
• In addition to its 2017 NCAA title, the Lions' football program also won the 1972 NAIA national championship.  Other national championships have included men's basketball (NAIA 1954-55), men's golf (NAIA 1965) and men's tennis (NAIA 1972 and 1978).  Prominent student-athletes at A&M-Commerce have included NFL stars Harvey Martin, Wade Wilson and Dwight White, and noted U.S. Olympic medalist John Carlos.
• Founded in 1889, Texas A&M-Commerce serves rural and urban Northeast Texas with distinction, consistently delivering on a promise that founder Professor William Leonidas Mayo made more than a century ago: "No industrious, ambitious youth shall be denied an education if I can prevent it."  To this day, the institution remains committed to its core mission: "Educate. Discover. Achieve."
• Formerly known as East Texas State University, the 2,100-acre Commerce campus provides many opportunities for students to learn and grow. The university offers more than 135 degree programs at the bachelor's, masters and doctoral levels. A vibrant student life experience includes 14 competitive NCAA athletic teams, a thriving Greek system and more than 120 student organizations. Programs are delivered on site at the Commerce campus as well as in Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Mesquite and Corsicana. A robust online academic menu of classes is also a point of distinction, and U.S. News & World Report has ranked several programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce among the best in the nation for 2021.
• A member of The Texas A&M University System since 1996, the institution provides quality education to an inclusive community of diverse learners as one of the most affordable universities in East Texas.  Students work with world-class professors who dedicate themselves to excellence in teaching and research. The university maintains strong relationships with local industries to create relevant academic programs and valuable internship and networking opportunities that prepare career ready graduates.
• Serving nearly 12,000 students, Texas A&M-Commerce is a leader in competency-based education, and is the nation's first institution to offer an accredited competency-based bachelor's degree in criminal justice and organizational leadership. The agriculture program is also a national stand-out, featuring one of the only programs where students grow their own experimental crops on the university's 1,500-acre farm. In addition, A&M-Commerce upholds a 130-year legacy as an exceptional teachers' college, graduating more than 400 certified educators in 2019. In 2020, the university opened the 113,470-square-foot Nursing and Health Sciences Building, featuring a state-of-the-art simulation hospital.
 
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEMBERS ON JULY 1, 2022 – AS OF NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Institution	Offers Men's Basketball?
A&M-COMMERCE	YES
Houston Baptist	Yes
McNeese State	Yes
New Orleans	Yes
Nicholls State	Yes
Northwestern State	Yes
Southeastern Louisiana	Yes
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	Yes