COMMERCE – Demarcus Demonia scored 18 points for the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team on Saturday, but the Lions were handed their third straight loss by a score of 72-68 by the St. Mary's Rattlers as part of Senior Day in the Field House.
                                                                
Rodney Brown (Beaumont – Westbrook), Augustine Ene (Carrrollton – Creekview), Jairus Roberson (DeSoto), and Alphonso Willis (Atlanta, Ga.) played their final regular season home games as Lions and were honored prior to the game with a special Senior Day ceremony.
 
Saturday's game had 13 lead changes and six ties. The Lions had a one-point lead with 2:26 left, but did not have the lead again for the rest of the game. Demonia (Fort Washington, Md.) knocked in two free throws to pull the Lions within 69-68 with 37 seconds left, but A&M-Commerce had two chances in the final 12 seconds to tie the game, but both missed.
 
The Lions have lost three games in a row, its longest losing streak since 2019-20. A&M-Commerce falls to 16-7 on the season and 8-5 in Lone Star Conference games, which puts the Lions in fifth place. The Rattlers are 12-11 on the season and finish conference play with an 9-5 record, which puts them in third place.
 
The Lions can avoid the first round of the LSC Tournament by winning both games next weekend.
 
Roberson made his second three pointer in the first four minutes of the game to give the Lions a 11-6 lead, its largest of the game. St. Mary's scored seven straight to grab its first lead of the game at the 13:24 mark of the first half.
 
The Rattlers had a lead as big as six in the first half and did not trail again until 1:42 left in the first half. Ene scored a pull up jumper to give the Lions a 38-37 lead. Demonia ended the first half by knocking in a layup with 25 seconds left to give the Lions a 40-39 lead at halftime.
 
Clashon Gaffney (Clarsville) gave the Lions their biggest lead of the second half, 60-56, at the 5:41 mark. The Rattlers scored the next four points to tie it at 60 and did not trail by more than two in the final 4:54 of the game.
 
Demonia had 12 points in the first half. He finished the game with a double-double, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Ene added 17 points, three rebounds, and a steal. Roberson tallied 12 points, three assists, and a rebound.
 
Making his first start of the season, Brown had two points, four rebounds, and an assist. Willis totaled eight points, seven rebounds, team-leading six assists, a steal, and three blocks. Gaffney led the team with blocks, also adding six points and five rebounds.
 
Carson Tuttle (Mukilteo, Wash. had two points, two rebounds, and an assist off the bench. Alex Peavy (San Antonio – Smithson Valley) had two points, a rebound, a block, and an assist. Khaliq Abdul-Mateen had one point and two rebounds.
The Lions shot 11 for 20 at the free throw line, while the Rattlers shot 17 for 22. Both teams made nine three pointers. Kobe Magee led the Rattlers with 17 points.


POSTGAME INTERVIEW
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce hits the road to face Angelo State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and UT Permian Basin on Saturday at 4 p.m. to close out the regular season.