COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team has only three regular season games left in the Field House as a member of NCAA Division II. The Lions host Texas A&M International on Saturday at 4 p.m., a team that they have not lost to in program history.  
 
WHO: Texas A&M International at A&M-Commerce
WHERE: Commerce | Field House
WHEN: Saturday, January 29, 4 p.m.
RECORDS: The Lions are 13-4 overall and 5-3 in Lone Star Conference play. The Dustdevils are 11-5 overall and 3-2 in LSC games.
RANKINGS: Both teams are receiving votes in the latest NABC poll.
 
WATCH: https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/tamuc/
LISTEN: KETR 88.9 FM https://www.ketr.org/
LIVE STATS: http://statb.us/b/372608
TICKETS: http://lionathletics.com/tickets  
GAME NOTES: TAMUC
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE DUSTDEVILS
• The Lions are undefeated against the Dustdevils, winning all five meetings. The Lions are 1-0 in Commerce, winning 83-65 in 2018.
• A&M-Commerce won 78-65 in 2020 in Laredo in the only meeting between the two teams as LSC foes. 
 
SCOUTING THE DUSTDEVILS
• The Dustdevils snapped a three-game losing streak with an overtime win at UT Tyler on Thursday night. A&M International's last two games have gone into overtime.
• A&M International downed No. 25 UC-Colorado Springs earlier this season.
The Dustdevils are receiving votes in this week's NABC coaches poll and are holding teams to score 63.6 points per game, which is 14th best in the country.    
 
LIONS APPEAR IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
• The Lions have been ranked as high as No. 19 in the D2SIDA rankings, while receiving votes for six straight weeks in the NABC rankings.
• This is the first season since 2018-19 that the Lions are nationally ranked.
• This week, the Lions are receiving votes in  the NABC rankings.
 
LEADING WIRE-TO-WIRE
• The Lions have not trailed in three of their last four games and there was just one tie in the three games.
• A&M-Commerce downed Eastern New Mexico by 32 points, UT Tyler by 15, and Texas A&M-Kingsville by 21 at home during that stretch.
 
LOPSIDED WIN OVER THE GREYHOUNDS
• The Lions led by as much as 37 points over Eastern New Mexico, winning by 32 points.
• In the game, the Lions made 18 three pointers, which are tied for fourth most in program history.
• Four players made three or more three pointers.
 
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST BLOCKERS
• A&M-Commerce is blocking 6.4 shots per game, which is second in the country.
• The Lions are just behind Auburn-Montgomery, who is averaging 6.8 blocks per game. 
• The Lions blocked 11 shots in the win over Harding and nine against Oklahoma Christian.
• Clashon Gaffney's 3.4 blocks per game lead NCAA Divison II.
 
NEARLY BEAT THE BEST IN THE NATION
• The Lions were tied against No. 1 Lubbock Christian with just over a minute to go, before falling to the Chaps.
• A&M-Commerce led by as much as four points, holding a lead for six minutes.
 
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 10 games.
 
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
• Against Ouachita Baptist, Jairus Roberson 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 3.3 three pointers made per game, which is 17th in the country.
 
NO...NO...NO...NOT TODAY!
• Clashon Gaffney is averaging 3.4 blocks per game, leading the LSC.
• The Lions lead the LSC with an average of 6.4 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.
 
ENE NAMED LSC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Augustine Ene was named LSC Offensive Player of the Week following a 2-0 weekend to start LSC play, joining Clashon Gaffney as the second Lion honored by the conference this year.
• He averaged 18 points in the first two conference games, leading the team in scoring in both games.
 
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