CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders led wire-to-wire to hand the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team an 86-69 loss at the American Bank Center on Saturday afternoon.
 
The loss drops A&M-Commerce to 11-13 overall and 6-8 in Southland Conference play. This weekend was the first time this season that the Lions lost both games on the weekend during conference play, while the Islanders move to 4-0 against the Lions over last two years and are 17-7 overall and 10-3 in SLC action this season.
 
With four games left in the regular season, the Lions are in seventh place in the Southland Conference standings. A&M-Commerce is a win or a loss from Houston Christian away from clinching a spot into the Southland Conference Tournament.  
 
The game started with six straight points from the Islanders, who led 20-8 after the first quarter. Outside of 2-0, the Islanders did not have a lead smaller than one possession.
 
The Lions got the lead down to single digits to nine in the second quarter at the 6:29 mark on a quick 5-0 run with a layup from Olivia Russell (Auburn Hills, Mich.) and a three-pointer from Ahmya Boyce (Newport News, Va.). The Islanders increased their lead all the way up to 18 and led 45-31 at halftime.
 
Both teams scored 15 points each in the third quarter, but the Islanders never trailed by less than double digits in the second half. The largest lead in the game for A&M-Corpus Christi was 22 points and it came in the fourth quarter.
 
Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur) scored 24 for the Lions on 4 for 9 shooting from deep and led the team with four assists as well as two rebounds. Boyce scored 15 with one rebound and a steal, while Mary Delgado totaled 10 points, one rebound, and a block. Jasmine Payne (Birmingham, Ala.) led the team with eight rebounds and scored seven.
 
The Lions shot 40 percent from the field in the game, going 7 for 19 from deep, and 12 for 16 at the line.
 
For the Islanders, Maya Ellis shot 9 for 14, including six three-pointers, for 25 points. Paige Allen had 10 points and 18 rebounds. The Islanders shot 43.4 percent from the field and outrebounded the Lions, 55-35.

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The Lions enjoy a bye on Thursday and are back in action next Saturday at Nicholls at 1 p.m.