COMMERCE – The Southern Utah Thunderbirds went on an 8-0 run to tie Tuesday night's game in the final minute, but
Ahmya Boyce delivered the game-winning jumper to help the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team pick up a 73-67 win at the Field House.
The Thunderbirds, who are the defending WAC Tournament champion and a NCAA Tournament participant, went on an 8-0 run over a stretch of two minutes to tie the game at 67 with 53 seconds left. Boyce (Newport News, Va.) ended the scoring drought with a jumper and the Lions made all six free throws down the stretch to pick up the win.
AHMYA BOYCE GO-AHEAD BASKET HIGHLIGHT
The Lions have won all four games at home this season and improve to 5-3 overall, having won two in a row. A&M-Commerce now has three wins over Division I opponents this season. Southern Utah is 2-5.
This was a return trip for Southern Utah, as the two teams met in Cedar City last season with the Thunderbirds winning 71-56.
Both teams started shooting slow, but the Thunderbirds led 6-0 through the first 4:47 of the game, until a layup by
Mary Delgado (Miami, Fla.) knocked down a layup to open the Lion scoring, while starting a 4-0 run for the Lions.
Despite falling behind 12-6 with 3:01 left in the first quarter, the Lions scored the next 11 to jump up 17-12 at the 8:32 mark of the second quarter. Delgado and
Cora Horvath (Obertwart, Austria) scored four points each during that stretch.
The Lions trailed by as much as six in the first half and had a lead as big as nine in the first half.
To close out the first half, the Thunderbirds held the Lions without a point for the final 2:02 of the first half, to cut the lead to 32-27 at halftime.
A three-pointer at the 7:14 mark of the third quarter by the Thunderbirds, put them back up front by one. In the first half, there was just one lead change and one tie, while in the third quarter alone, there were four lead changes and a tie.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Lions led 58-42, but a personal foul and then a technical foul charged to the Lions, gave Southern Utah four opportunities at the free throw line. The Thunderbirds converted three of the four attempts at the line and took a 53-52 lead.
The Lions were held scoreless for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter as the Thunderbirds, on a 6-0 scoring run, took a 53-52 lead.
Dorian Norris (Lake Dallas) drained a three-pointer and Boyce converted an and-one, to put the Lions back in the lead by six.
Boyce, behind the game-winning basket, totaled 17 points in the game, while Delgado picked up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Norris picked up career-high 16 points off the bench and seven rebounds.
The Lions outshot the Thunderbirds, 42.9 percent to 41.8. Daylani Ballena scored 25 points, seven rebounds for Southern Utah, while Megan Smith finished the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions look to Fill the Field House on Friday night at 7 p.m. as they Houston, which is the first Power Five conference opponent to visit A&M-Commerce. Tickets can be purchased at
LionAthletics.com/Tickets.
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