COMMERCE – The Lamar Cardinals handed the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team a 70-53 loss in the Field House on Monday night.
 
The Lions, who played their first home game in 21 days, fall to 5-12 in Southland Conference play with one more left in the regular season. A&M-Commerce enters the final game of the regular season in seventh place. The Lions need a win on Wednesday or a loss by either New Orleans or Houston Christian to clinch a spot into the conference tournament.

Lamar is 17-13 overall and 11-6 in conference play, sitting in fourth place in the SLC standings. The Cardinals won both meetings over the Lions this season.
 
Both teams exchanged the lead through the first eight minutes and were tied at 13. The Cardinals then went on a 21-4 run to take a 34-17 lead at the 6:29 mark of the first half. Lamar's largest lead in the first half was 18 points.
 
While holding the Cardinals scoreless for six minutes, the Lions were able to come to within 46-38 and the Lions trimmed it to seven, but the Cardinals jumped back out to a 21-point lead and scored the final four points of the game.
 
Tommie Lewis (Vero Beach, Fla.) scored 14 with three rebounds for the Lions, Kalen Williams (Augusta, Ga.) added 10, while Alonzo Dodd (St. Paul, Minn.) added 10 as well. Khaliq Abdul-Mateen (Cy-Lakes) racked up three points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
 
B.B. Knight scored 19 for the Cardinals, while Terry Anderson totaled 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Cardinals outshot the Lions, 52.0 percent to 35.8 percent.
 

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The Lions close out the regular season on Wednesday in the Field House at 7:30 p.m. against Northwestern State, which is also Senior Day for the Lions.