COMMERCE – Returning home to the Field House after three games on the road, the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team narrowly fell 78-71 to the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lions were up by five after the third quarter, ending the third on a 16-2 run. The Lobos, who were picked to finish second in the Mountain West Conference this preseason, shot 9 for 14 in the fourth quarter, including 4 of 8 from the distance to outscore the Lions, 29-17, in the fourth quarter.
 
A&M-Commerce falls to 1-4 on the season, all four losses have been to Division I opponents that either played in the NCAA Tournament last season or in the WNIT. The Lions outscored the Lobos, 25-14, in the third quarter. Laila Lawrence (Lewisville) had 11 points and six rebounds in the third quarter.
 
The Lobos' Paul Reus made three of her four three pointers in the fourth quarter, finishing the quarter with 10 points and had 18 points in the game, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double. New Mexico improves to 3-3 on the season.
 
Lawrence finished the game with a double-double, totaling 19 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Dyani Robinson (Langham Creek) also posted 19 points, while recording six rebounds, one assist, and one block. Returning to the floor after missing the last three games, Symmone James (McKinney – Boyd) scored 14 points on 7 for 10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds as well as one assist and a steal.
 
The Lions shot 37.5 percent from the field, making 13 of their 19 free throw attempts. DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) recorded eight rebounds, six points, five assists, and one steal. Olivia Russell (Auburn Hills, Mich.) recorded five points, four steals, two assists, and a block.
 
New Mexico made 11 three pointers and both LaTorra Duff and Viane Cumber had 15 points each, with Cumber coming off the bench.
 
The Lions and the Lobos met for the first time on Saturday. A&M-Commerce is slated to make the return trip to Albuquerque next season.


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A&M-Commerce is back on the road for its next two games in the Beehive State. The Lions face Southern Utah at Noon mountain standard time on Thursday and are at Utah Tech on Saturday at 2 p.m. mountain standard time.