Five Lions Score in Double Digits as A&M-Commerce Knocks Off No. 7 Central Oklahoma, 96-79

Led by five players in double figures, the Texas A&M University-Commerce knocked off its third ranked team of the season on Wednesday night in a 96-79 win over No. 7 Central Oklahoma at the A&M-Commerce Field House.

A&M-Commerce (17-9, 8-3 LSC North) rallied from an early 8-0 deficit and shot a season-best 57.1% from the field in the win. Senior guard Cardell Hunter scored a game-high 20 points and recorded a season-high six steals in the win. Senior DeUndrae Spraggins with 19, plus off the bench junior Sammy Jackson and freshman Brad Hambrick joined Hunter in double figures scoring 18 and 14 points, respectively. Senior Rashad Brown, who scored 10, joined them in double digits.

Central Oklahoma (22-4, 9-2 LSC North) landed three players in double figures including Lance Harper, who scored a team-high 19. DeAngelo Garrett and David Thomas, who scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, joined him.

The Bronchos hit their first three shots to take an 8-0 advantage just 1:34 into the contest. For the remainder of the contest, the Lions settled in and rallied behind a season-high crowd of 1,002 for the win. After the early deficit, A&M-Commerce retaliated with a 10-2 run punctuated by the first of four 3 pointers by Hambrick to tie the game at 10. The two teams exchanged baskets until a 7-0 run gave A&M-Commerce its first lead and they would never relinquish it for the remainder of the game.

Clinging to a two-point lead, 19-17 with 8:49 left in the opening half, the Lions answered with a game-deciding 16-0 run that put the Lions in front by a 35-17 margin with 4:38 to go. At the end of the run, Hunter hit his only 3 pointer of the night. The Lions took a double-digit lead into intermission.

The Lions kept the lead at or around double digits until an 8-2 run by the visitors cut the A&M-Commerce lead to four, 73-69, with 5:42 to go. Six-straight points by the Lions put the finishing touches for the Senior Day win.

Prior to the game, A&M-Commerce honored its six seniors including Rashad Brown, Cedric Griffin, Jacobi Jackson, Chris Okonofua, DeUndrae Spraggins and Dominique Taylor.

Winners eight of its last nine games, A&M-Commerce will close out the regular season on Saturday at 4 pm against Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Earlier this year, the RiverHawks defeated the Lions by a 68-63 margin in overtime on January 17^th.