NEW ORLEANS – Despite being down by 10 at halftime and trailing by as much as 12, the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team won back-to-back games for the first time in conference play by winning 63-58 over the New Orleans Privateers on Thursday night at Lakefront Arena.
 
The Lions improve to 8-12 on the season and have won three of their last four Southland Conference games for a record of 4-2. The Privateers drop to 6-11 overall and 3-3 in conference play. Both teams meet again in Commerce on February 16.
 
New Orleans scored the first eight points of the game, marking the second straight game that the Lions trailed by eight or more points before scoring their first point. At the 6:41 mark of the first half, the Privateers had a 26-14 lead, the Lions turned it around to a 26-25 deficit with 4:20 left in the first on a three pointer by Ant Abraham (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.). The Privateers ended the first half on a 11-2 run to lead 37-27 at the break. The 12-point lead for UNO, was the largest for either team in the game.
 
Five Lions scored four points each in the first half. As a team, they shot 12 for 27 in the first half, while the Privateers shot 14 for 26.
 
An 8-0 run by the Lions in the second half brought A&M-Commerce within 44-43, holding New Orleans scoreless for over a minute and a half. Kalen Williams tied the game at 49 with 8:21 left, the first tie since the opening tip and then converted the and-one opportunity for the Lions' first lead of the game. It is the seventh time this season that Lions have fought back from a double-digit deficit to either make it a one-possession game or take the lead.
 
After a scoring drought of four minutes and 33 seconds, New Orleans knocked down two free throws, but the Lions, on the other end, snapped a scoring drought of their own and took a two-point lead on a three pointer by Khaliq Abdul-Mateen (Cy-Lakes) with 5:26 to play. The Privateers scored four straight to go up 56-55 with 2:43 left.
 
Demarcus Demonia (Fort Washington, Md.) ended the Privateers' scoring run with a long three pointer to give the Lions a 58-56 lead. Following a stop on the defensive end, Kalen Williams (Augusta, Ga.) made both free throws to put the Lions up by four with under two minutes to play.
 
After the Privateers pulled to within two once again, Williams swished in a three pointer to put the Lions up by five.
 
Every player that played in the game for the Lions, scored in the game. Williams led the way with 12, while JJ Romer Rosario (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.) scored 11, and Demonia scored nine, who led the team with five rebounds.
 
Abraham and Alonzo Dodd (St. Paul, Minn.) had four assists each, while Dodd also recorded five steals.
 
For the Privateers, both Jordan Johnson and Simeon Kirkland scored 15 each. Tyson Jackson had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.


POST GAME INTERVIEW
 
UP NEXT
The weekend concludes with a trip across the lake to Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.