OKLAHOMA CITY – Trailing by as much as 10 points in the first half, the No. 4/10 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team turned the tables in the second half on Saturday afternoon to win 69-58 over the Oklahoma Christian Eagles at the Eagles' Nest.
 
A&M-Commerce has won five in a row to improve to 18-2 on the season and 7-2 in Lone Star Conference play. The Eagles remain winless on the season at 0-17 and are 0-8 in conference play. The Lions recorded 61 rebounds on Saturday afternoon, which are tied for fourth-most in program history.
 
The Lions are a half game back in the standings behind conference leaders, Cameron. The two teams face-off in Lawton, Oklahoma, on Tuesday night.
 
A&M-Commerce, sporting a new starting lineup with Dorian Norris (Lake Dallas) earning her first career start, fell behind 9-2 through the first six minutes. The Lions shot 3 for 15 from the field in the first quarter and trailed 17-9 after the first 10 minutes.
 
Down 22-14 at the 7:25 mark of the second quarter, the Lions steadily marched back and tied the game at 24 on a layup by Laila Lawrence (Lewisville) at the 4:48 mark, which was the first tie since the opening tip.
 
Asiyha Smith (Conway, Ark.) made both free throws at the 4:26 mark of the second quarter for the Lions' first lead of the game at 28-26. They had two leads in the first half, both were two points or less. The Eagles' largest lead in the first half was 10.
 
The Lions and the Eagles remained within one possession until the final minute of the second quarter. Following an and-one by DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.), the Eagles were awarded two free throws on the other end and knocked both down. Oklahoma Christian scored the final four points of the first half to lead 39-35 at the break.
 
Kernal had 10 points on 3 for 5 shooting from the field and made all four free throws off the bench. Norris and Juliana Louis (Long Beach, Calif.) had six rebounds each. A&M-Commerce traveled 11 players for Saturday's game, 10 players appeared in the first half, and all logged more than three minutes.
 
In a turn of events from the first quarter, the Eagles shot 40 percent in the second quarter and the Lions shot 59 percent.
 
The Lions took their first lead of the second half at the 4:52 mark of the third quarter on a free throw by Dyani Robinson (Langham Creek). Following an offensive foul by the Eagles, Chania Wright (DeSoto) drilled a jumper from near the free throw line to give the Lions a three-point lead, their largest up to that point. Wright's bucket came after two offensive rebounds by the Lions on the possession.
 
The Eagles tied the game at 50, but did not take another lead for the rest of the game. They were held to 19 points in the second half.
 
A&M-Commerce led throughout the fourth quarter and two free throws by Smith with 27 seconds left gave it the largest lead of the game at 13. In the final meeting between the two teams as members of Division II, the Lions lead the all-time head-to-head 6-0.
 
Smith shot 11 for 12 from the line and totaled game-leading 16 points. She also recorded four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. Robinson and Kernal tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively. Robinson had two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Kernal recorded five rebounds and two assists.
 
Wright, Lawrence, and Louis tallied eight points each, while Norris scored six. Louis just missed a double-double, she had 14 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Wright also neared a double-double, she recorded nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
 
Lawrence totaled six rebounds and a block. Norris had eight rebounds and a block in her first career start. Jordyn Beaty (Woodville) had two points and four rebounds.
 
The Lions made just one three pointer, shooting 1 for 18, and shot below 20 percent in the first and third quarter.
 

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The Lions return to the Sooner State on Tuesday night to take on Cameron at 5:30 p.m.