COMMERCE – Behind 53 points from its bench, the No. 7/10 Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team sailed to an 88-72 win over the Texas A&M International Dustdevils on Saturday afternoon to complete a perfect 3-0 week in the Field House.
 
A&M-Commerce received contributions in the scoresheet from 11 players, with all 14 active players logging at least three minutes in the game. The Lions improve to 17-2 on the season and 6-2 in Lone Star Conference games, while dropping the Dustdevils to 12-6 overall and 3-4 in LSC games. After Saturday's action, the Lion sit in a tie for third place with most of the conference being at the halfway point of conference play.
 
Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star) scored 15 points off the bench, shooting 6 for 11 from the field. Symmone James (McKinney – Boyd) added 12 points and team-leading nine rebounds. Ashley Shipley (Tucumcari, N.M.) converted two and-one opportunities and added a field goal for eight points, she also grabbed two rebounds. The Lion bench outscored the Dustdevils, 53-19.
 
The Lions were held scoreless in the first 3:44 of the game, missing their first four shots. A&M-Commerce allowed the Dustdevils to score just two points during that stretch.
 
Chania Wright (DeSoto) nailed down a three pointer just before the end of the first quarter to give the Lions a 17-12 lead after the first 10 minutes, that was the first two-possesion lead for either team. Wright had eight points in the game.
 
The scoring margin was five points when the second quarter started, it was 16 points at halftime. A&M-Commerce scored the first 11 points of the second half to take a 15-point lead. James scored seven of the 11 points.
 
James added two more points and Deck knocked down a free throw to give the Lions a 16-0 run. The Lion lead went below 10 points just twice the rest of the way.
 
Deck scored seven points in the third quarter, shooting 3 for 4 from the field, including a three pointer. She also grabbed three rebounds and had team-leading four steals and four assists in the game. Dyani Robinson (Langham Creek) also dished out four assists, while tallying six rebounds, eight points, two steals, and a block.
 
The Dustdevils made six three pointers in the fourth quarter and outscored the Lions, 24-19 in the quarter. Silvia Blanco shot 8 for 12 from the field as well as 6 for 8 from the distance for 22 points. Texas A&M International made 13 three pointers in the game.
 
DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) has scored at least 10 points or more in all but four games this season, that streak continued on Saturday afternoon. She had 11 points, two assists, one rebound, and a steal. Asiyha Smith (Conway, Ark.) totaled eight points, three assists, three steals, two blocks, and a rebound. Juliana Louis (Long Beach, Calif.) recorded one rebound, two assists, one steal, and a block.
 
Laila Lawrence (Lewisville) and Dorian Norris (Lake Dallas) scored seven points each off the bench, while Jordyn Beaty (Woodville) and Olivia Russell (Auburn Hills, Mich.) had two points each. Lawrence also totaled four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Beaty and Russell had two rebounds each as well, while Beaty had career-best three blocks.
 
Texas A&M International outshot the Lions, 47.1 percent to 45.5 percent. Lions shot 8 for 25 from the distance, the Dustdevils shot 13 for 22.


POSTGAME INTERVIEW
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce is on the road the next two weeks, beginning a four games in seven days stretch on Thursday at Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5:30 p.m.