COMMERCE – Jordyn Newsome scored 17 points and recorded seven assists in her final home game at the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House, but the East Texas A&M University women's basketball team was downed 74-65 to the UIW Cardinals on Saturday afternoon.
 
SENIOR DAY
Prior to the game, the Lions honored their five seniors: Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur), Jamy De Kock (Woudrichem, The Netherlands), Nykesha Sanders (Detroit, Mich.), Jasmine Payne (Montgomery, Ala.), and Hannah Humphrey (Lamar Consolidated).
 
The Lions fell to 7-21 overall and 4-15 in Southland Conference play with the loss, while UIW improved to 17-12 overall and 12-8 in SLC play, winning both games against East Texas A&M this season. The Lions are officially eliminated from contention for a berth into the SLC Tournament with the loss.
 
Neither side pulled away in the first quarter as both teams had a lead as big as three in the quarter. The Lions scored five in a row to take a 24-20 lead at the 5:42 mark of the second for their largest lead of the game to that point, but the Cardinals scored the next four. UIW drained a three-pointer with three seconds left in the half to lead 32-30 at the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Lions were left scoreless for the first 2:36 of the second half, as UIW jumped out to a 39-30 lead and led for the rest of the game. The Cardinals' largest lead in the game was 12 points and it came with 2:50 left in the third.
 
The Lions cut the Cardinal lead all the way down to five at the end of the third quarter, scoring 10 of the final 14 points of the quarter. A 4-0 run brought the Lions within 65-62 with 2:43 left in the game, which was the only time the margin was within one possession in the second half.
 
UIW scored the next five and the margin was not less than six the rest of the game. In the game, the Lions outshot the Cardinals, 41.7 to 36.7, but were outrebounded, 47-35.
 
Newsome led the Lions with 17 points in the game and added team-best seven assists as well, while Payne scored 12 and Nina Horvath (Oberwart, Austria) added 11.
 
For the Cardinals, Brynn Lusby scored 17 off the bench, with Myra Bell recording a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jorja Elliott and Raimi McCrary scored 10 points each as well.
 

POST GAME INTERVIEW
 
UP NEXT
The Lions end the season at Northwestern State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.