A&M-COMMERCE HEADS TO STATE CAPITAL FOR 2011 ST. EDWARD'S CLASSIC
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&M-Commerce (5-6) | 35 | 50 | 85 |
| Henderson State (4-5) | 25 | 56 | 81 |
| Austin, Texas (St. Edward's University) | |||
| A&M-Commerce | Henderson State |
|---|---|
| Pts: Desmond King - 30 | Pts: ENSLEY, Andrew - 29 |
| Reb: Desmond King - 12 | Reb: ENSLEY, Andrew - 9 |
| Ast: LaBree Sledge - 5 | Ast: 2 Players (#14, #02 - 4) |
| Team Statistics | A&M-Commerce | Henderson State |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 62.0% (31-50 ) | 49.2% (32-65 ) |
| Rebounds | 36 | 26 |
| Assists | 17 | 18 |
| Turnovers | 25 | 16 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 10 | 29 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 15 | 10 |
| Pts in the Paint | 46 | 38 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 10 | 12 |
| Bench Pts | 24 | 31 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harding (4-4) | 30 | 37 | 67 |
| A&M-Commerce (4-6) | 30 | 52 | 82 |
| Austin, Texas (St. Edward's University) | |||
| Harding | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|
| Pts: Johnson, Hayden - 19 | Pts: Preston Whitley - 19 |
| Reb: Roddenberry, Zach - 7 | Reb: Mouhamadou N'Doye - 8 |
| Ast: Brown, Demoine - 4 | Ast: LaBree Sledge - 8 |
| Team Statistics | Harding | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 42.3% (22-52 ) | 58.8% (30-51 ) |
| Rebounds | 26 | 31 |
| Assists | 16 | 23 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 19 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 26 | 19 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 4 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 38 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 12 | 16 |
| Bench Pts | 16 | 29 |
A&M-Commerce Lions vs. Harding Bison
Sunday, December 18 • 6 p.m.
Alumni Gym • Austin, Texas (St. Edward's University)
Records: A&M-Commerce (3-6); Harding (4-5)
A&M-Commerce Lions vs. Henderson State Reddies
Monday, December 19 • 2 p.m.
Alumni Gym Austin, Texas (St. Edward's University)
Records: A&M-Commerce (3-6); Henderson State (3-4)
Radio: KETR 88.9 FM (listen online at KETR.org)
Live Video: St.Edwards.edu/Athletics
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com
A&M-Commerce Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
A&M-Commerce heads down to our state capital, competing in the 2011 St. Edward's Classic. The Lions open up the two-day Classic facing Harding at 6 p.m. Sunday, December 18, then face Henderson State at 2 p.m. Monday, December 19 at Alumni Gym on the campus of St. Edward's University.
Lions On The Web
Lion basketball fans will be able to keep up with all the action at the St. Edward's Classic J.P. Heath will broadcast both games live on KETR 88.9 FM or online at KETR.org. Live video and live stats of both Lion games will also be available at LionAthletics.com.
Scouting the Bison
2011-12: 3-4 overall, 0-0 Great American.
Last Three Games: W vs. Central Baptist (96-59), L vs. Christian Brothers (72-60), L vs. Alabama-Huntsville (67-63).
Head Coach: Jeff Morgan (West Texas A&M, 1989). 19th season at Harding (318-201, .613); 20th season overall (335-211, .614).
Bison Key Players:
• Deantra Scott (Jr., G): 97 pts. (13.9 avg.), 51.6 FG pct., 43.3 3FG pct., 42 reb. (6.0 avg.), 8 blk., 9 stl.
• Bradley Spencer (Jr., G): 88 pts. (12.6 avg.), 52.5 FG pct., 42.3 3 FG pct., 36 reb. (5.1 avg.), 22 ast., 6 stl.
• Zach Roddenberry (Jr., F): 80 pts. (11.4 avg.), 78.6 FG pct., 28 reb. (4.0 avg.), 5 stl.
• Weston Jameson (So., G): 54 pts. (7.7 avg.), 35.7 FG pct., 91.7 FT pct., 16 reb. (2.3 avg.), 28 ast.
• Hayden Johnson (So., F): 38 pts. (5.4 avg.), 34.3 FG pct., 24 reb. (3.4 avg.), 11 ast., 7 blk.
Series Information: A&M-Commerce and Harding meet for just the third time in the progam's history this Sunday with both teams notching a victory. The last meeting was in 2003 in which Harding earned a 74-71 victory over the Lions, with A&M-Commerce defeating the Bison 73-70 in 1998. Both games have been on neutral courts.
Scouting the Reddies
2011-12: 3-4 overall, 0-0 Great American, 1-0 neutral.
Last Three Games: W vs. Northeastern State (58-51), L vs. Freed Hardeman (81-72), L at Central Arkansas (83-81, OT).
Head Coach: Doug Nichols (Texas A&M, 2005). First season at Henderson State (3-4, .429); First season overall (3-4, .429).
Reddie Key Players:
• Andrew Ensley (Jr., F): 110 pts. (15.7 avg.), 50.6 FG pct., 54 reb. (7.7 avg.), 12 ast., 7 stl.
• Denzel Lyles (Jr., G): 89 pts. (12.7 avg.), 38.2 FG pct., 46.9 3FG pct., 95.6 FT pct., 6 ast., 11 stl.
• Deoirvay Johnson (Jr., G): 79 pts. (11.3 avg.), 40.8 FG pct., 27 reb. (3.9 avg.), 18 ast., 6 stl.
• Josh French (Sr., F): 58 pts. (8.3 avg.), 47.7 FG pct., 27 reb. (3.9 avg.), 6 blk., 8 stl.
• Jonathan Fitzgerald (So., G): 45 pts. (6.4 avg.), 44.2 FG pct., 17 reb. (2.4 avg.), 13 ast., 10 stl.
Series Information: Monday marks the 17th overall meeting between A&M-Commerce and Henderson State with the all-time series even at eight wins a piece. The Lions have had the upper hand in recent history, winning six-straight over the Reddies, including a 96-81 victory at the Field House on December 29, 2009, which is the only time the two teams have met with Sam Walker at the helm of the Lions. Henderson State's last victory in the series was an 85-73 victory in Arkadelphia on December 1, 1994.
Lion Victories Not For the Faint of Heart
The Lions clinched their third victory of the season Tuesday night against Southern Arkansas and continued a recent streak of nailbiting victories. All three of A&M-Commerce's victories in 2011-12 have been by three points or less, including the win over the Muleriders off Sledge's lay-up with six-tenths of a second remaining. The first time the two teams met this season, Brad Hambrick hit a go-ahead three with 30 seconds left as the Lions watch the Muleriders' final three-point attempt miss at the buzzer. Hambrick also worked his magic against Arkansas-Fort Smith, hitting the game-winning shot with 29 seconds left as A&M-Commerce thwarted the final attempts by the Lions. It extends the Lions' streak of close victories to four-straight as the Lions' final win of the 2010-11 season was a 65-63 nailbiter against East Central in the regular season finale.
Hambrick Inching Closer To 200 Career Three-Pointers
Senior Brad Hambrick has been a constant in the Lion lineup for the past three seasons, and in the season opener of his fourth season in an A&M-Commerce uniform, he cemented his legacy in the Lion record book. Hambrick came into the season tied with Kevin Widemond (2006-08) for first all-time in career three-pointers made at 167, then moved squarely into first place with his three in the opening half at Southern Arkansas. Against the Muleriders, Hambrick hit two of his seven three-point attempts, upping his season total to 21 out of 50 attempts, upping his career total to 188 and sitting 12 shy of 200 for his Lion career.
Walker Claiming His Spot in Starting Lineup
Sophomore Devondrick Walker has started to make a name for himself in his first season in a Lion uniform. Walker has started five games for A&M-Commerce this season, including each of the past four games. He has scored in double figures three times, including a career-best 14 points at Drury, while finishing with nine points on three other occasions. Walker ranks fourth on the team, averaging 8.4 points per game, and is third in rebounds (3.2 per game).
Looking Ahead
The games this week in Austin mark the Lions' final games of the 2011 calendar year as A&M-Commerce will be off until after the New Year, resuming the 2011-12 Lone Star Conference season at West Texas A&M on Wednesday, January 4. The Lions' next home game will be against Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, January 7, at the Field House.
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