COMMERCE – A 7-0 run with a tie game in overtime on Saturday afternoon gave the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team an 84-78 win over the New Orleans Privateers in overtime on the Hunt Regional Healthcare court in the Field House.
 
The two squads went back-and-forth to start the overtime period and were tied 76-76 with 1:41 left in the first overtime period. The Lions scored the next seven to lead 83-76 with 14 seconds left in the game. The Privateers were not able to decrease the deficit to less than five the rest of the game.
 
For the sixth straight weekend of Southland Conference play, the Lions went 1-1 and are now 11-11 overall and 6-6 in conference play, while the Privateers are 9-14 overall and 6-6 as well against SLC opponents. The two teams have six games left in the regular season and are both tied for fifth in the conference standings.
 
New Orleans scored the first four points of the game and led 9-3 at the 8:16 mark of the first quarter. The Lions answered with a 7-0 run to take a lead on a layup by Mary Delgado (Miami, Fla.). Delgado tied the game at 16 in the final minute of the first quarter, but New Orleans scored the next three to lead 19-16 after the first quarter.
 
Delgado hit a layup to start the second quarter, but the Privateers scored the next four to lead by five once again. At the 3:32 mark of the second quarter, New Orleans led 31-25. The Lions scored the next six to tie the game at the 2:16 mark and a layup by Jordyn Beaty (Woodville) tied the game at 35 going into halftime.
 
Both teams scored four points each in the first three minutes of the third quarter. A three-pointer by Cora Horvath (Obertwart, Austria) pushed the Lions to lead 49-45 at the 2:53 mark, which was the first time either team had a two-possession lead in the quarter.
 
The Lions ended the third quarter leading 57-52 and scored the first four points of the fourth quarter. New Orleans was held scoreless for the first 3:48 of the second half, trailing by nine.
 
A three-pointer from Delgado at the 4:26 mark put the Lions ahead 65-56. New Orleans scored the next seven to make it a two-point game once again at the 2:55 mark.
 
Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star) drained a jumper to put the Lions in front by four with 1:52 left in the game. New Orleans scored a jumper with 55 seconds left and Jayla Kimbrough put in a layup right before the buzzer to tie the game and send it to overtime.
 
Ahmya Boyce (Newport News, Va.)  was the team leader in scoring for the Lions with 26 points, four rebounds, team-high three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Deck posted 23 points as well as six steals and four rebounds. Delgado came off the bench once again, posting 16 points and four steals. Olivia Russell (Auburn Hill, Mich.) grabbed 16 rebounds, which led the team.
 
New Orleans' DeArica went 12 for 24 from the field to score 32 points and posted a double-double with 13 rebounds as well. She fouled out with 19 seconds left in overtime.

POST GAME INTERVIEW
 
UP NEXT
The Lions are on the road for their next three games, playing at UIW on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., at A&M-Corpus Christi next Saturday at 1 p.m., and at Nicholls on February 24.