COMMERCE – Three East Texas A&M University women's basketball players scored in double digits on Saturday afternoon on the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House, but the McNeese Cowgirls put together a second-half comeback to win 64-55 over the Lions.
 
The Lions fall to 4-9 overall and 1-3 in Southland Conference play, while McNeese improves to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Over the past three years, the Lions are 1-2 at home against the Cowgirls and 2-0 away from Commerce.
 
McNeese scored the first five points of the game, but the Lions answered by scoring the next five. Despite one lead change and three ties, East Texas A&M closed out the first quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 23-13 after the first.
 
Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur) hit two three-pointers during the stretch. She scored 13 in the first quarter on 4 for 8 shooting, making three of her five attempts from the distance, and went 2 for 2 at the line.
 
At the half, the Lions led 41-34, despite the Cowgirls outshooting the Lions, 42.4 percent to 41.7 percent. Newsome scored 15 in the first half, while Jasmine Payne (Montgomery, Ala.) added 11 off the bench, shooting 4 for 4 from the field.
 
The Cowgirls started the second half on an 8-0 run as the Lions missed their first six shots from the field to tie the game at 41 with 5:49 left in the third. The Lions did not score their first points of the second half until the 4:21 mark on a layup by Alva Hedrich (Muecke, Germany), but trailed 44-43 after the basket.
 
The Lions were held to just six points in the third quarter as the Cowgirls led 50-47 after three. East Texas A&M missed 18 of its first 20 shots in the second half and went 1 for 4 at the line during that stretch.
 
McNeese extended its lead to each as much as nine in the fourth quarter, shooting 11 for 33 in the second half, while East Texas A&M was 5 for 33 in the second half. The Cowgirls outrebounded the Lions, 30-21 in the second half and the Lions went 3 for 10 at the line.
 
Newsome finished the game with 18 points and two rebounds, while Payne added 17 points and eight rebounds. Hedrich recorded the first double-double for a Lion this season with 11 points and 12 rebounds as well as three blocks. Nykesha Sanders (Detroit, Mich.) tallied seven assists and seven rebounds.
 
For the Cowgirls, both Kiayra Ellis and Paris Guillory tallied 17 points each, with Guillary picking up 10 rebounds as well. Ellis had five blocks in the game.
 

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The Lions hit the road once again to face SLC newcomer UTRGV on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.