COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team just fell short of a historic comeback on Thursday night on the Hunt Regional Healthcare court at the Field House as the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions hung on for a 72-61 win.
 
Southeastern led 10-0 to start the game and led by as much as 30 in the game, but A&M-Commerce stormed back to make it a five-point game in the second half, and had possession, but Southeastern survived for the win. The 30-point comeback would have been the second biggest in NCAA Division I history.
 
A&M-Commerce falls to 10-11 on the season and 5-6 in Southland Conference play, while Southeastern continues to lead the conference with a record of 10-1 and is 14-8 overall. SLU is now 5-0 against A&M-Commerce over the last two seasons.
 
The Lions did not have a field goal in the first quarter, with all five points coming at the line. Southeastern led 26-5 after the end of the first quarter. SLU closed out the second quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 47-18 at the half, which was the largest lead to that point.
 
It was the second time this season that A&M-Commerce failed to make a basket in a quarter, going scoreless at Texas Tech in the first quarter earlier this season. A&M-Commerce shot 5 for 34 from the field in the first half.
 
At the 7:44 mark of the third quarter, the Lady Lions led 50-20, which was their largest lead of the game. A&M-Commerce held Southeastern to six more points the rest of the quarter, while scoring 18, to pull to 54-38 on a three pointer by Mary Delgado (Miami, Fla.), who returned after missing the last six games.
 
A&M-Commerce scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and went on a 6-0 run to make it a 59-51 game with 6:02 left in the game. Jordyn Beaty (Woodville) scored a layup to bring the Lions within five at the 4:12 mark and A&M-Commerce got the ball back following two missed free throws by Southeastern, but the Lady Lions forced a turnover and converted the layup to go back up by seven.
 
A jumper by Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star) pulled A&M-Commerce to within five once again at the 1:35 mark. Southeastern missed a three-pointer on the other end, but A&M-Commerce missed a three-pointer as well, and Southeastern hit two free throws. A&M-Commerce did not score another point the rest of the game.
 
In the second half, the Lions shot 14 for 34, while holding Southeastern to shoot 7 for 28.
 
Deck led the team with 17 points, adding two rebounds and two assists. Off the bench in her return, Delgado scored 12 with three rebounds and two assists. Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur) picked up four early fouls, but still totaled nine points and five rebounds, while Beaty racked up 12 rebounds and nine points.
 
For Southeastern, Jalencia Pierre scored 12, while both Taylor Bell and Allasia Washington added 12 points off the bench as well. Southeastern outrebounded A&M-Commerce, 59-38.

POST GAME INTERVIEW

UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce continues the home stand on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against New Orleans.