BEAUMONT – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball dropped a 66-49 loss to the Lamar Cardinals at the Montagne Center on Thursday night.
 
A&M-Commerce has lost back-to-back games in conference play for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Lions are 6-2 in Southland play and 8-12 overall. Lamar improves to 10-9 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The two teams split the season series, with both teams defending home court.
 
There were three lead changes in the first three minutes, but Lamar went on 13-2 run to take a 17-7 lead with 2:27 left in the first and did not trail again in the game. In the second quarter, A&M-Commerce went on an 8-0 run to pull to 21-19, but the Cardinals once again extended their lead back to 10 at 32-22. The Lions scored the final six points of the second quarter to pull to 34-30 at the half.
 
The scoring run for the Lions continued to start the second half, as they pulled to within two. Lamar brought the lead back up to four at 41-37 with 6:51 left.
 
For the Lions in the first half, DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) scored nine points.
 
The Lions pulled to within one in the third, but could not tie or take the lead and trailed 50-44 entering the fourth. Through three quarters, Lamar shot 44.4 percent from the distance, after shooting 50 percent in the first half.
 
Laila Lawrence (Lewisville) scored 12 points, followed by 11 from Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star), who suffered an injury in the game, but returned in the fourth quarter. Four points each came from Olivia Russell (Auburn Hills, Mich.), Dorian Norris (Lake Dallas), and Nya Harmon (Dallas – Bowie).
 
Lawrence led the team with seven rebounds, while Russell, Norris, and Zaria Collins (Plano) totaled five. Deck also dished out three assists and had team-best three steals. Norris had two of the five blocks for the Lions.
 
For Lamar, Sabria Dean scored 16 points, shooting 4 for 7 from the distance. Lamar's bench outscored the Lion bench, 26-11.
 
A&M-Commerce was held to shoot 31.5 percent from the field in the game, while shot 49.1 percent from the field and made 10 three pointers.


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After three straight games on the road, the Lions return to the Field House on Saturday to host Houston Christian at 2 p.m.