BEAUMONT – For the eighth time this season, the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team fought back from a 10-point deficit and downed the Lamar Cardinals, 62-57, at the Montagne Center on Thursday night.
 
The Lions have won three of their last four and improve to 5-3 in Southland Conference play and 9-13 overall. A&M-Commerce swept the season series over Lamar, who drops to 2-6 in conference play and 6-14 overall.
 
Lamar started the game leading 7-0. The Cardinals had started the January 14 game in Commerce by leading 9-0. The Lions bounced back to take the lead in the first half in both games. The Lions have trailed by 10 points or more in eight games this season that they have come back to make it a one-possession game or take the lead.
 
The Cardinals' largest lead in the first half was 10 points, 29-19. The Lions closed out the first half on a 14-2 run to take their first lead of the game with nine seconds left in the half, 33-31. Jerome Brewer, Jr. (Camden, N.J.) scored nine in the first half and six came during that scoring run.
 
The Lions extended their lead to eight with 13:23 left in the second, but Lamar went on a 9-1 run to tie the game. C.J. Roberts (Irving – MacArthur) drilled a three pointer with 7:51 left to give A&M-Commerce a 50-47 lead. After leading for just nine seconds in the first half, the Lions led for the entirety of the second half.
 
Lamar pulled to within 60-57 in the final minute and had the ball down three, but Demarcus Demonia (Fort Washington, Md.) came up with a block, and hit both free throws on the other end to give the Lions a five-point lead.
 
Brewer, Jr. scored 12 points and recorded team-best seven rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. Demonia scored 11, while JJ Romer Rosario (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.) scored nine. Kalen Williams (Augusta, Ga.) was held scoreless, but dished out six rebounds. The Lions recorded four blocks in the game.
 
The Lions had a 36-7 advantage in bench points, while Lamar had the 34-18 edge in points in the paint. On the Cardinals end, Nate Calmese scored 17, Chris Pryor scored 10, and Janko Buljic had eight rebounds as well as four assists.


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The Lions return home after a three-game road trip to host Houston Christian on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.