COMMERCE – Despite coming back from being down 12 to make it a one-point game at halftime, the East Texas A&M University women's basketball team was downed 61-50 by the Northwestern State Lady Demons on Saturday afternoon at the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House.
 
The game was tied at five with 6:34 to play in the first quarter, but the Lady Demons outscored the Lions, 18-6, the rest of the quarter to open up a 23-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
The first four points of the second quarter were scored by the Lady Demons, but then the Lions held Northwestern State to just three minutes the final seven minutes and 16 seconds of the second quarter, scoring the final 18 points to trim the deficit down to 30-29 at the half.
 
In the second quarter, the Lions shot 6 for 13 from the field, while the Lady Demons shot just 2 for 14.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Lady Demons scored the first seven points of the third to push their lead back up to eight. Northwestern State outscored East Texas A&M 18-10 in the third to lead by nine entering the fourth quarter.
 
The Lions held the Lady Demons to just one made field goal through the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to as small as five in the quarter. Northwestern State followed it up with a 7-0 run, holding the Lions without a point for over three points, increasing the lead back up to 12. East Texas A&M shot 0 for 5 from the field during that stretch.
 
With the loss, the Lions fall to 4-16 on the season, having lost eight in a row and 1-10 in Southland Conference play, while the Lady Demons improve to 10-10 overall and 7-4 in SLC action. Saturday was the first win for the Lady Demons in games outside of Natchitoches over the Lions in the last three seasons. The two teams have now played seven times during that stretch.
 
For the Lions, both Jasmine Payne (Montgomery, Ala.) and Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur) scored 13 points each. Both Payne and Nina Horvath (Oberwart, Austria) made their first starts of the season, with Horvath picking up team-best seven rebounds. The Lions shot 32.1 percent from the field and were outrebounded, 46-32.
 
The Lady Demons were led in scoring by Mya Blake, who scored 16, along with nine rebounds. Nia Hardison added 12, while Sharna Ayres scored 14. Jasmin Dixon finished the game with nine points and 13 rebounds.
 

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The Lions are on the road for their next two, playing at McNeese on Thursday at 6 p.m. and at Nicholls next Saturday at 1 p.m.