Lions End Run in SLC Tournament with a Loss to Lamar in the Semifinals
LAKE CHARLES, LA. – Despite a valiant effort, the Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team’s run in the Southland Conference Tournament came to an end with an 83-58 loss to the top seeded Lamar Cardinals in the semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at the Legacy Center.
The Lions end their season with a record of 15-16, while Lamar is 24-5 and advances to Thursday’s championship game.
Under the leadership of first year coach, Valerie King, the Lions set the program record for most wins under a first-year coach, recorded the most wins in the Division I era, won a postseason game for the seventh straight year, won two for the fifth straight year, and advanced to the conference tournament for the sixth straight year.
Wednesday marked the final game in the collegiate careers for Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star) and Mary Delgado (Miami, Fla.).
The Lions forced five Cardinals turnovers on six possessions, while taking a 13-9 lead. Lamar scored two points in a span of two minutes and 35 seconds.
The Cardinals shot 5 for 18 in the first quarter, but outrebounded the Lions, 16-8. A&M-Commerce had the 15-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. Deck picked up two fouls in the first quarter and was limited to just 14 minutes in the first half.
Lamar made its first four shots of the second quarter to tie the game at 19. The Lions made their first two, but then missed their next two and had two turnovers as well. Lamar took advantage of a Lion scoring drought of two minutes to take a 20-19 lead at the 6:23 mark of the second quarter, its first since 7-5 midway through the first.
The Lions responded with an and-one by Delgado, re-taking a two-point lead, while Lamar missed four field goals in a row. Lamar upped its lead to seven by going on a 9-0 run, while the Lions missed four in a row.
Lamar outscored A&M-Commerce, 23-16, in the second quarter, but the Lions scored five of the last six points of the half, to trail 34-31 at the break. Ahmya Boyce (Newport News, Va.) rolled in a layup right before the buzzer.
There were six lead changes and three ties in the first half. Lamar’s largest lead was seven, while A&M-Commerce’s was four.
Jordyn Newsome (Irving – MacArthur) and Boyce totaled eight points each in the first half for the Lions, while Lamar’s Sabria Dean scored 11 on 5 for 10 shooting in the first half, along with 10 rebounds. The Cardinals outrebounded the Lions 25-13 in the first half and had the 9-1 edge in offensive rebounding. Lamar scored five second chance points off the nine offensive rebounds.
Both Delgado and Deck were called for two fouls each in the first four minutes of the third quarter, totaling four fouls each in the game. Delgado was also called for a technical foul.
Lamar scored five in a row to lead 60-47, the largest of the game, with eight seconds left in the third quarter. Boyce added another buzzer-beater, trimming the deficit to 11 entering the fourth.
The Cardinals outscored the Lions 26-18 in the third quarter and 49-27 in the second half. Lamar’s largest lead in the game was 25 points.
Newsome led the team with 18 points, Boyce scored 17. Boyce was 7 for 9 from the field and Newsome shot 6 for 11.
Lamar’s Akasha Davis, the Southland Player of the Year, finished the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. R’Mani Taylor added 21 points, while Dean totaled 17 points and 13 rebounds. Lamar outrebounded A&M-Commerce, 47-23.
