COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University men's basketball team closes out the week at UTRGV, facing the Vaqueros for the first time in the regular season since 1980. 

WHO: East Texas A&M at UTRGV
WHERE: Edinburg | UTRGV Fieldhouse
WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 6:30 p.m.
RECORDS: The Lions are 2-14 overall and 0-5 in Southland Conference play, while the Vaqueros are 10-6 overall and 2-3 in conference action. 

LISTEN: Lion Sports Network | https://www.ketr.org/
WATCH: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401721213
LIVE STATS: https://goutrgv.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
GAME NOTES: ETAMU | UTRGV

WHAT IS OLD, IS NEW AGAIN
• Earlier this month, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents passed a resolution to re-name Texas A&M-Commerce to East Texas A&M, dating back to the East Texas State University roots of the institution.
• The game at Texas A&M was the first game in the ETAMU era and the Lions wore a special East Texas jersey.

TOUGH START TO SOUTHLAND PLAY
• The Lions have lost their first five conference games for the first time since 1992-93.
• A win over UTRGV avoids the first 0-6 start to conference play for the Lions since 1992-93, when East Texas A&M lost its first seven conference games.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE VAQUEROS
• Monday is the second ever regular season meeting between the Lions and the Vaqueros, who did play an exhibition game to start the 2018-19 season.
• The other prior regular season meeting for the Lions in the series came on December 20, 1980 in Edinburg, an 85-54 win for then-UT Pan American.

LATE FREE-THROW LIFTS LIONS OVER WILDCATS
• A free throw from Scooter Williams Jr. with less than two seconds left is all that the Lions needed to beat Abilene Christian and snap the seven-game losing streak, which was the longest losing streak in the Division I era.
• The Lions trailed by as much as 10 in the game and by seven at halftime, but are now 2-2 at home this season.

99TH MEETING BETWEEN THE LIONS & THE WILDCATS
• December 18 was the first matchup in the Field House for Abilene Christian and the Lions in the Division I era for both programs, first since 2013, and the 45th meeting all-time in Commerce.
• The matchup was also the 99th overall meeting between the two foes that played in the same conference for 50 years.
• The Lions are now 35-10 all-time in the series at  home and 58-41 overall.
• Abilene Christian won 83-64 when the two teams met in 2022 in Abilene.

BACK CLOSE TO HOME
• The Lions traveled through seven states in non-conference play, including playing in six games through the first seven games.
• East Texas A&M plays in only Texas and Louisiana the rest of the season.

HEART-BREAKER AT STONEHILL
• The Lions led for over 31 minutes at Stonehill, but came up short by two points in regulation, as the Skyhawks tied the game and then took the lead in the final 10 seconds of the game on four free throws.
• The Lions are still searching for their first win away from home this season.

SOONERS PULL AWAY LATE FROM LIONS
• Despite nine lead changes in the first half in the game, Oklahoma pulled away for a 84-56 win over the Lions.
• The Lions had the lead at least once in each of the two games at Power conference opponents last week.

DOWNED AT THE HUSKIES
• The first two points in Storrs, Conn., were scored by East Texas A&M, but UConn scored the next 10 on its way to a 81-46 win.
• Camerin James came off the bench and led the Lions with 18 points against the Huskies.
• It was the first nationally televised game since 2022-23 for the season and the Huskies, who are ranked No. 2/2, are the highest ranked team the Lions have played in the
Division I era.

LAST-MINUTE STOP GIVES LIONS' FIRST WIN
• The Lions picked up a 70-68 win over Southern for the first win at home this season and marked the 13th consecutive season that the Lions won their home opener.
• Scooter Williams Jr. scored all his 14 points in the second half, including the go-ahead layup in the final minute with the game tied at 68.
• The Lions last lost in its first game at home in the 2011-12 season against Midwestern State.

PLAYING THE LAST TEAM STANDING
• Last Tuesday marked the first time that the Lions played the defending national champion in the Division I era.
• The last time the Lions faced the defending national champion prior to that was in 2004 against Northeastern State, with the Lions winning 58-57 on the road.

NEARLY CAME BACK AGAINST THE YOTES
• After a neck-and-neck first half with the game tied at 32, South Dakota went ahead by 19 in the second half last week, but the Lions rallied to make it a five-point game with less than two minutes left in the game, but could not get closer than that.

NARROW DEFEAT IN IOWA
• The Lions begin the season at Iowa, falling to the Hawkeyes, but had a lead with nine minutes left in the first half and outshot the Hawkeyes, 45.8 to 45.7 percent.
• The Lions have started 0-1 in each of the last three seasons, but all three losses came to major conference opponents (Iowa, Texas A&M, SMU).

ABDUL-MATEEN SHINES TO START 2024-25
• Now in his fifth season with the program. Khaliq Abdul-Mateen has been the leading scorer for the Lions in three of the first five games.
• He is averaging 11.8 points per game.

ROAD WARRIORS
• For the third year in a row, the Lions spent the first week of the season on the road.
• Last season, the Lions played four games before playing at home, they played six road games to start the 2022-23 season.
• This year's home opener comes on November 13 against Southern.

A WHOLE LOT OF NEW FACES
• This season's roster for the Lions features 11 newcomers as they return just four lettermen from last year's roster.
• Only one of the five normal starters return from a year ago as well.
• The returners for the Lions are Khaliq Abdul-Mateen, Evan Phelps, Brandon Taylor, and KC Ugwuakazi.

ADDITIONS TO THE COACHING STAFF
• The Lions welcome two new members to the coaching staff this season as both Jared Kortsen and Matthew Scott join the program as assistant coaches.
• Trey Conrod, a Lion alum, is now the program's director of basketball operations.

MAJOR CONFERENCE GAMES IN BULK
• The Lions have four games this season, including four of the first six against major conference teams in at Iowa, at Texas A&M, at UConn, and at Oklahoma.
• Also on the schedule are South Florida and McNeese this season, who both won their conference championships a year ago.

POSTSEASON WIN AT LAST
• After falling in the first round in each of the past two conference tournaments, the Lions picked up the win over Northwestern State in the first round of the SLC Tournament last season, the program's first postseason win in the Division I era and first overall since 2019-20.
• The Lions fell to Nicholls in the quarterfinals, who went on to play in the SLC Championship Game.

ABDUL-MATEEN APPROACHING HISTORY
• Khaliq Abdul-Mateen enters the season having played 100 career games for the Lions, he needs to appear in 26 games this season to set the new program record for games played.
• He has started the first three games this season.
• Larry McGhee, who played for the Lions in 1974-78 is the current program leader with 125 games played.

WELCOME NEW SLC MEMBERS
• The Southland Conference welcomes two new members to the conference this year in UTRGV joining as a newcomer and Stephen F. Austin returning to the conference.
• The Lions have played UTRGV just once in the regular season and it was a loss in 1980.
• SFA and the Lions are in the same conference once again, having played each other 67 times, but not in the regular season since 1985.

PICKED TENTH IN THE PRESEASON
• The Lions were picked to finish tied for 10th in the preseason Southland Conference poll in the new-look conference.
• New Orleans was picked to finish tied for 10th as well, while Houston Christian was picked 12th.

SNUB ON ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TEAMS
• East Texas A&M did not have any players earn all-conference recognition last time, marking the first time since 1986-87 last season.

PERENIALLY PLAYING IN MARCH
• Last season was the third straight season and 18th time in 19 seasons, that the Lions  played a game in the postseason.

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
• The Lions picked up a 98-85 win at HCU, which was the second win in three games for the Lions last March.
• The 98 points scored for the Lions were the most in a conference game since December 19, 2019 at No. 10 ranked DBU.
• Kalen Williams powered the Lions in the game with 35 points.

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS AGAINST THE PATRIOTS
• Four school records fell in the win over Arlington Baptist last season, which was the final game prior to the holiday break.
• The four records broken were field goal percentage (.689), blocks (18), and assists (36), and first half points (63).
• The 130 points scored are third-most in school history.
• The Lions scored 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2014 and just the second time in program history.

A RARITY ON NEW YEAR'S DAY
• Last season's game against TCU was the fourth time that the Lions are playing on New Year's Day and first time since 2008.
• The Lions are now 3-1 all time on the first day of the year with wins over Ouachita Baptist (2002), St. Edward's (2005), and Southern Arkansas (2008).

STEALS RECORD FALLS AGAINST DALLAS CHRISTIAN
• A&M-Commerce recorded 19 steals in the 100-48 win over Dallas Christian, which is the new program record.
• The 19 steals are a new program record, while Khaliq Abdul-Mateen recorded five steals, which is tied for third most in school history.
• In the game, the Lions also recorded 25 assists, which is tied for seventh most in a game.

GROUNDED THE HAWKS
• The Lions went to Philadelphia and upset Saint Joseph's 57-54 last season.
• The Lions led wire-to-wire in the win over the Hawks and it is the highest ranked win based on KenPom rankings in school history.
• Saint Joseph's has since picked up a win over No. 18 ranked Villanova.

RECORDS FALL IN WIN OVER DROVERS
• The Lions downed Science & Arts by 50 points, which was the first win of the season and the home opener as well.
• East Texas A&M's point total of 113 is fourth all-time, 42 three-point attempts tied the program record and 19 three-pointers made are third in program history.
• Every Lion that appeared in the game scored at least two points against the Drovers.

HAD THE WILDCATS ON THE ROPES
• The Lions scored the first eight points at No. 16 Kentucky and led by as much as 13 over the Wildcats.
• Kentucky stormed back, despite trailing for most of the first half, to gone to win by 20 at home.

TOUGH SLATE TO START 2023-24
• The Lions begin the 2023-24 season with three straight games against major conference opponents, which includes two nationally ranked teams.
• In their season opening trip, the Lions played at nationally ranked Texas A&M and Kentucky as well as Texas Tech and Purdue Fort Wayne,
• The first three games of the season for the Lions were against Quad 'A' opponents.
• The Lions went 0-4 to start the season, which is the first since 2007-08.

BIG RUN PULLS AGGIES AWAY FROM LIONS
• Early in the first half in College Station, the Lions went on a 11-1 run to pull to within one of No. 15/19 Texas A&M, but the Aggies answered with a 26-5 run in the rest of the first half to pull away for the first win of the season.

A HISTORIC FIRST WIN
• East Texas A&M collected its first win in NCAA Division I on November 14, 2022, prevailing in overtime over Air Force.
• The Lions trailed by as much six points in overtime, but sealed the win via a dunk by Demarcus Demonia.
• The Lions moved up nine spots in the KenPom rankings following the win.

ALOHA LIONS
• East Texas A&M picked up a thrilling 53-51 win at Hawaii on November 30, 2022.
• The Lions led by as much as 14 points in the game, which was the largest Hawaii had faced up to that point this season.
• East Texas A&M had the lead for nearly 33 minutes, while Hawaii had only trailed for only 19 minutes all season prior to the game.
• The Lions jumped up 20 spots in the KenPom rankings following the win over the Rainbow Warriors.

EAST TEXAS A&M ENTERS THIRD YEAR IN NCAA DIVISION I
• The Lions begin the third season in NCAA Division I this year.
• It is also the third season for the Lions in the Southland Conference.
• East Texas A&M will be eligible for the NCAA Tournament during the 2026-27
season.

SLC MEMBERS IN 2024-25
EAST TEXAS A&M
Houston Christian
Incarnate Word
Lamar
McNeese
New Orleans
Nicholls State
Northwestern State
SFA
Southeastern
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
UTRGV