COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball continues conference play on Saturday, hosting McNeese. The two teams are the top two scoring offenses in the Southland.  
 
WHO: McNeese at A&M-Commerce
WHERE: Commerce | Field House
WHEN: Saturday, January 6 | 3:30 p.m.
RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 5-6 on the season, while McNeese is 4-10. Both teams are 0-1 in SLC play.  
RANKINGS: Neither team is nationally ranked.  
  LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401578770
LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/b/493101
GAME NOTES: TAMUC | MCN

SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
• The Lions and the Cowgirls enter the Field House both looking to end three-game losing streaks. McNeese is yet to pick up a win over a Division I opponent this season.
• McNeese fell 78-54 in the conference opener on Thursday at Northwestern State. The Cowgirls were picked to finish tied for fifth in the preseason SLC poll.
• The Cowgirls and the Lions are 1-2 in scoring thus far this season, but both teams are also the last two teams in scoring defense. Last season, the Lions and the Cowgirls split the season series with both teams winning on the road.

QUICK GLANCE AT THE LIONS
• The Lions had a 12-point lead at New Orleans on Thursday, but a late 15-0 run by the Privateers helped UNO win the conference opener. A&M-Commerce has lost three in a row and its last win came on December 5.
• Both Mary Delgado and Mia Deck had double-doubles against New Orleans, which is the first time the Lions had two players record a double-double in the same game this season.
• Delgado dished out 10 assists at New Orleans, marking the first time in the Division I era that a Lion had double-digit assists. She is fourth in the SLC with 3.0 assists/game.

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.

AVOIDING A RARITY
• The Lions fell at New Orleans to start conference play, losing the conference opener for the first time since 2021-22.
• A&M-Commerce has not started 0-2 to start conference play since 2011-12.

BACK-TO-BACK LAST-SECOND WINNERS
• The Lions have scored the go-ahead basket in the last minute in each of its last two wins.
• Mia Deck scored the game-winner at Idaho, while Ahmya Boyce had the game-winner against Southern Utah.

DECK, DELGADO BRING HOME HARDWARE
• In back-to-back weeks, the Lions brought home the Southland Women's Basketball Player of the Week awards.
• Mia Deck earned the award following the game at Washington State and Idaho, while Mary Delgado earned the nod after games against Southern Utah and Houston.

HOT FROM DEEP
• The Lions have made double-digit triples in three games, including 14 three-pointers twice in a game, which is tied for second in school history. They also lead the Southland in three-pointers made.

UNPRECENTED START TO THE SEASON
• The Lions ended conference play with a record of 5-5.
• The five wins are most in non-conference play during the Division I era.
• The Lions had three wins over NCAA Division I opponents in non-conference play, which also surpasses last season's mark.

LIONS' RAIN THREES TO BEAT TRAILBLAZERS
• Despite trailing by double-digits in the first half, the Lions shot 14 three pointers to pick up the win over Utah Tech.
• The win snapped a two-game losing streak and is the first win over a Division I team this season.
• Both Mary Delgado and Ahmya Boyce scored 19 in the game, with Boyce hitting six three pointers.

SLOW START DOOMS LIONS AT TECH
• Texas Tech scored the first 29 points of the game in Lubbock.
• It is the first time since women's basketball went to quarters that the Lions were held without a basket in a quarter, being scoreless in the first quarter.

JUST FELL SHORT OF THE LOBOS
• Mia 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.
 
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 is third in the conference in three-point percentage. 

DELGADO LEADING THE WAY
• Mary Delgado is the team-leader in scoring and is second in the Southland, despite coming off the bench in the first six games of the season. 

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.
  
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.