COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team is back at home after a two-game roadtrip to host Utah Tech on Monday afternoon.  
 
WHO: Utah Tech at A&M-Commerce
WHERE: Commerce | Field House
WHEN: Monday, November 20 | 1 p.m.
RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 2-2 on the season, while Utah Tech is 2-1. 
RANKINGS: Neither team is nationally ranked.
  LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401575842
LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/b/493097
GAME NOTES: TAMUC | UTU

SCOUTING THE TRAILBLAZERS
• Utah Tech is off to a 2-1 start, being 1-1 against Division I opponents, with a win over Jacksonville State.
• The Trailblazers went 19-12 last season, which included a 82-62 win at home over A&M-Commerce. Utah Tech fell in the WAC Tournament Quarterfinals last season.
• This is the final season that the Trailblazers are in the NCAA Division I transition. They will be eligible for the NCAA Tournament next season. Breaunna Guillen is averaging 20 points on the year.
 
QUICK GLANCE AT THE LIONS
• The Lions are back at home after a two-game road trip last week in which they fell at New Mexico and Texas Tech. A&M-Commerce is 0-2 against Division I competition this year.
• After Monday's game against Utah Tech, the Lions are right back on the road for two more, heading to the Pacific Northwest after Thanksgiving.
• Jordyn Newsome is the team leader in scoring, while Mary Delgado, who has come off the bench in all four games, is second. Olivia Russell is leading the team in rebounding.
 
BRAND NEW WATERS
• The Lions are in the second season in NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference.
• This is the first time the Lions are changing conferences in program history.
• A&M-Commerce is eligible for the NCAA Tournament in the 2026-27 season.

SLOW START DOOMS LIONS AT TECH
• Texas Tech scored the first 29 points of the game on Friday night.
• The Lions were only outscored 23-21 in the third quarter, but it was too little too late.
• It is the first time since women's basketball went to quarters that the Lions were held without a basket in a quarter.

JUST FELL SHORT OF THE LOBOS
• Deck's shot just fell short at the New Mexico in the 75-74 loss to the Lobos.
• The win for A&M-Commerce would have been the second over a Division I non-conference opponent and first on the road.
 
STARTED ON A HIGH NOTE
• The Lions' 2-0 to start the season was the fourth in the last five years and for the first time in the Division I era.
• By beating LeTourneau, the Lions have won their season opener for the fifth straight season.
• The Lions last lost in the season-opening game to start the 2018-19 season.
 
A NEW ERA
• Valerie King takes over as the Lions' coach this season, she was previously an assistant coach at New Mexico.
• This is the first season since 2013-14, that the Lions have a new coach.
• King is joined on the bench by assistant coaches: Tad Wedel, Brechelle Beachum, Trevor Moyer, and Jaedyn De La Cerda.

HOT FROM DEEP
• The Lions knocked down 14 three pointers in the win over UNT-Dallas on Friday, which is tied for the second most in program history.
• The program record for most three pointers in a season is 15 and happened during the 2006-07 season, when the Lions went to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight
 
NEWSOME SHINES IN DEBUT
• Jordyn Newsome made her mark in Lion Country with a 24-point performance in her Lion debut.
• She knocked down six three pointers as well in her first game inside the Field House.
• She has made 14 three-pointers on the season and is the team leader in scoring.
 
PLENTY OF NEW FACES
• This season, the Lions bring back just seven players from last season, and welcome seven newcomers for the 14-person roster.
• Of the seven newcomers, three are true freshmen, while the rest are transfers.
• The Lion freshmen hail from Austria, Spain and Texas, while among the transfers, two are from the junior college ranks and two are from fellow NCAA Division I schools, both from the Sun Belt.
 
PLAYING THE BEST OF THE BEST
• A&M-Commerce faces four major conference opponents in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
• The Lions played at Texas Tech on Friday, are at Washington State on November 29, host Houston on December 8, and at Texas A&M on December 31.
• This season, the Lions face three teams that played in the NCAA Tournament, while playing two that played in the NIT.
 
SUCCESS IN THE POSTSEASON
• The Lions' run in the Southland Conference tournament ended in the semifinals last season, ending a run of three straight championship game appearances.
• The game against Southeastern was the fifth consecutive season the Lions were playing in the conference tournament semifinals.
• A&M-Commerce has won two postseason games for each of the last three seasons and won three the last two years. 
 
HISTORIC START TO CONFERENCE PLAY
• For the first time since 2019-20, the Lions started 6-0 in conference play, last year. 
• That season, the Lions advanced all the way to the conference tournament championship game and made the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
FIRST DI ROAD WIN
• The win at McNeese was the first road win for the Lions away from the Field House as a Division I member, they were 0-7 in true road games and 0-9 in games away from home prior to that.
 
AMONG THE BEST IN THE SLC
• The Lions finished the regular season first in the conferenece in scoring (65.4), second in rebounding (38.7).
 
A RARE FEAT IN STARKVILLE
• Despite the lopsided loss against Mississippi State last season, the Lions had an impressive effort on the road.
• Coming into the game, the Bulldogs were allowing 50.3 points per game, which was seventh in the country. The Lions scored 53 points.
 
ENDED ON A HIGH NOTE
• The Lions ended their Division II era with four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won a NCAA Tournament game in each of the last two seasons.
• A&M-Commerce has five postseason appearances in program history, with four coming in the last four seasons.
• The Lions were ranked as high as No. 1 in the D2SIDA rankings and No. 2 in the WBCA rankings last season.