COMMERCE – Mia Deck reached the 1,000-career point threshold on Saturday afternoon in the Field House as the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team snapped its losing streak with a 71-67 win over the Nicholls Colonels.
The Lions move to 3-0 at home on Saturdays this season and are now 9-9 overall and 4-4 in Southland Conference play, while the Colonels are 8-11 overall and 2-5 in SLC action. A&M-Commerce has won all three meetings over Nicholls since joining the Southland.
Nicholls had a 18-8 lead in the first quarter at the 3:26 mark, but the Lions scored 10 of the next 12 to trail 20-18 with 31 seconds left in the first quarter. Nicholls added a free throw to lead by three after the first 10 minutes.
The Lions scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take a 27-21 lead at the 5:20 mark. The Colonels tied the game at 29, before taking a 35-33 lead. Deck (Frisco – Lone Star) hit a layup with 39 seconds left in the game to tie the game at 35 going into the break.
At the 5:51 mark of the second quarter, Deck drained a three-pointer for nine points in the game, which also gave her 1,001 career points. She scored 649 of her 1,012 career points as a Lion.
MIA DECK 1,000 CAREER POINTS HIGHLIGHT
The third quarter started with both teams exchanging the lead, but the Colonels built a 45-40 lead with 4:53 left in the third. Back-to-back three-pointers from Deck and
Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur) gave the Lions a 49-47 lead with 2:36 left in the first. Nicholls drained a three at the buzzer to lead 56-52 entering the fourth quarter.
Newsome scored a layup on the first possession of the fourth quarter, which started a 7-0 run and put the Lions up front 59-56 with 6:33 left in the game. The Lions extended their lead to five on a free throw by
Olivia Russell (Auburn Hills, Mich.) and she hit a jumper to put A&M-Commerce up 65-58 with 3:21 left in the game.
Nicholls scored the next four and made it a three-point game with 1:39 left, and a had to chance to tie the game, but turned the ball over. The Lions made all six free throws down the stretch as the Colonels drained a three with a second left, but could not tie the game.
Saturday was the first time this season that the Lions entered the fourth quarter trailing in the game, but picked up the win. Prior to Saturday, the Lions were 0-7 when they trailed entering the fourth.
Deck scored 20 points, making 9 of her 10 free throw attempts, while also recording five rebounds, and two assists. Newsome totaled 19 points, three rebounds, and team-best four assists. Russell picked up a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while
Jordyn Beaty (Woodville) scored 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Lions shot 42 percent from the field, 6 for 22 from deep, and 15 for 20 from the line, while Nicholls shot 35.9 percent from the field, 8 for 24 in three-point attempts, and went 13 for 14 at the line. The Lions outrebounded the Colonels, 45-35.
Britiya Curtis scored 16 for the Colonels, while Daelyn Craig had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions get their first look this season at the site of the Southland Conference Tournament on Thursday as they face McNeese at 7 p.m. and close out the road trip at Northwestern State next Saturday at 1 p.m.
-TAMUC-
