COMMERCE – In a game where both teams shot below 30 percent from the field, the East Texas A&M University men's basketball team completed the home-and-home sweep of Northwestern State on Saturday evening with a 52-48 win at the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House.
 
The Lions have won back-to-back games in Southland Conference play for the first time since the 2022-23 season. East Texas A&M improves to 10-15 overall and 5-10 in Southland action, doubling its win total from a season ago.
 
Northwestern State has lost five of its last seven to East Texas A&M including both games this week to fall to 6-18 this season and 4-11 against Southland opponents.
 
In a low scoring start to the game, the Lions picked up a 13-5 lead at the 12:44 mark of the first, but the Demons came back to tie the game at 14. Another 9-1 run followed by the Lions and they increased their lead to 29-19 at the half.
 
The Lions had a lead as big as 14 in the second half, but the Demons cut it to two in the final minute of the game as the Lions scored just three points in a stretch of over 6 minutes.
 
Each time the Demons cut the deficit down to two in the final minute, the Lions answered with two points on the other end to allow the Demons to mount the comeback.
 
Noah Pagotto (Wollongong, Australia) had a double-double to lead the way for the Lions with 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Damian Garcia (Houston – Dobie) had 11 points as did Vinny Sigona (Prestonwood Christian Academy), who came off the bench.
 
Only one Northwestern State player scored in double digits, and it was 10 points from Willie Williams, who also grabbed 15 rebounds.
 

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The Lions make the trip to SFA on Monday at 6:30 p.m. to face the conference-leading Lumberjacks before playing their final four home games in a span of two weeks.