COMMERCE – Jada Hood's 22 points off the bench sparked the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team to a 69-58 win over the Northwestern State Lady Demons in the Field House on Wednesday night, which was also Senior Night for the Lions.
 
The Lions finished the regular season with a record of 13-15 overall and 8-10 in Southland Conference play. A&M-Commerce finishes the season in a tie for fifth place, after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll.
 
The Lions await the completion of the rest of the SLC schedule on Thursday to find out their seeding and opponent in the SLC Tournament, which begins next Monday in Lake Charles, Louisiana. A&M-Commerce will either be the fifth seed or the sixth.
 
All fans looking to purchase tickets for the conference tournament can do so HERE.
 
Northwestern State finished the season with a record of 7-11 in conference play and 11-18 overall. The Lady Demons will be the eighth seed in next week's conference tournament and are now 0-3 against A&M-Commerce away from Natchitoches, including a loss in last year's conference tournament, and 2-0 at home.
 
SENIOR NIGHT
Prior to the game, the Lions honored their five graduating seniors: Jordyn Beaty (Woodville), Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star), Mary Delgado (Miami, Fla.), Dorian Norris (Lake Dallas), and Jasmine Payne (Birmingham, Ala.).
 
The Lions started the game making their first four shots from deep to have the early lead. A&M-Commerce had a 20-16 lead after the first quarter, with both Delgado and Jada Hood (Roseville, Minn.) scoring six points each off the bench.
 
Despite a scoring drought of four minutes and 49 seconds in the second quarter, the Lion lead did not go down below 29-22, as the Lady Demons had a scoring drought of 5:33.
 
The two teams combined to shoot 0 for 16 during the scoring drought. Ahmya Boyce (Newport News, Va.) ended the scoring drought with a pair of free throws for the Lions, who went seven minutes and two seconds without a made field goal.  
 
After ending its scoring drought, Northwestern State put together a 5-0 run, to cut the Lion lead down to four. Jasmine Payne (Birmingham, Ala.) ended the field goal-less run for the Lions with a layup and put A&M-Commerce up 33-27 at the half.
 
The two teams combined to go 8 for 31 from the field in the second quarter. Delgado had 11 points in the first half for the Lions, while Beaty picked up seven rebounds in the first half. Sharna Ayres scored 11 with five rebounds for the Lady Demons in the first.
 
The Lions outscored the Lady Demons, 21-10, in the third quarter, holding a 17-point lead as part of a 12-0 scoring run. Hood went 3 for 3 from deep along with a pair of free throws in the third quarter, as the Lions shot 58 percent from the field in the quarter.
 
Northwestern State closed out the game on a 11-0 run, but the Lions had a lead as big as 21 in the period. Northwestern State held the Lions to shoot 5 for 17 in the fourth quarter, while the Lady Demons shot 10 for 18.
 
Hood finished the game with 22 points, which is her highest as a Lion, while Beaty totaled career-best 14 rebounds. Boyce scored 12 and Delgado added 11 of the bench.
 
Deck had nine points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals, while Payne recorded three of the team's five blocks. For the Lady Demons, Ayres scored 16 and Jenny Ntambwe finished the game with 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
After starting the game 4 for 4 from deep, the Lions finished the game shooting 8 for 20.

POST GAME INTERVIEW