COMMERCE – In a game with nine lead changes, the East Texas A&M University Men's Basketball team had a two-point lead with 14 seconds to play and came away with a stop on the defensive end to beat the Southern Jaguars, 70-68, on Wednesday night to win their home opener on the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House for the 13
th year in a row.
The game was tied at 68 with 1:16 left to play and
Scooter Williams Jr. (Chattanooga, Tenn.) laid in a basket to put the Lions ahead 70-68 and he blocked a defensive layup on the other end with 45 seconds left. After a Lion turnover, Southern had a chance to tie or take the lead with 14 seconds left and
Josh Taylor (Norcross, Ga.) came away with the block for the Lions and picked up the home win.
LAST POSSESSION HIGHLIGHT
The win was the first for the Lions in 2024-25, as they are now 1-3 on the season, while the Jaguars move to 0-3 thus far. This was the first documented meeting between the two teams.
The Lions have won the home opener in each of the past 13
th seasons. The last loss in a home opener was during the 2011-12 season.
The first six points of the game were scored by Southern on two shots from deep, but the Lions answered with a 10-0 run and extended it to a 16-3 run, leading 16-9 at the 15:21 mark of the first half. Though the Jaguars did come back to take a 35-34 lead late in the first half,
Evan Phelps (Duncanville) knocked down a three-pointer to give the Lions a 37-35 lead at the half.
Khaliq Abdul-Mateen (Cy-Lakes) led the way with 16 points in the first half for the Lions. He finished the game with 18 points, six field goals made, and four three-pointers made, tying his career high in all three categories.
Both teams exchanged the lead early in the second half, until a 14-4 run by the Jaguars gave them their largest lead of the game, 61-55 with 9:41 left in the game. The Lions stormed right back to score the next 11 points to go up by five and led 68-63 with 2:22 left in the game, but the Jaguars tied the game at 68 with 1:16 to play.
Williams Jr. was scoreless in the first half, but finished the game with 13 points, five assists, two blocks, three rebounds, and a steal.
Demarco Bethea (Sellars, S.C.) totaled team-high seven rebounds along with 11 points, two assists, and a steal, and Phelps posted 14 points and four steals.
Cam Amboree scored 20 points for Southern, going 4 for 6 from deep.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions now head on the road for their next three games, beginning with a trip to two-time defending National Champion and No. 3 ranked UConn next Tuesday at 7 p.m. eastern. The game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1.
-ETAMU-
