A&M-COMMERCE HOSTS OUACHITA BAPTIST TUESDAY AT THE FIELD HOUSE
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Baptist (2-1) | 19 | 37 | 56 |
| A&M-Commerce (4-2) | 32 | 37 | 69 |
| Commerce, TX (The Field House) | |||
| Ouachita Baptist | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|
| Pts: LADAY, Julian - 21 | Pts: Tyrie Wooten - 14 |
| Reb: MORRIS, Michael - 8 | Reb: Andrew Davis - 10 |
| Ast: RAMSEY, Nigel - 4 | Ast: Stefon Carson - 7 |
| Team Statistics | Ouachita Baptist | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 36.4% (20-55 ) | 38.5% (25-65 ) |
| Rebounds | 32 | 51 |
| Assists | 12 | 21 |
| Turnovers | 22 | 21 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 24 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 10 | 15 |
| Pts in the Paint | 24 | 28 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 8 | 11 |
| Bench Pts | 8 | 13 |
A&M-Commerce Lions vs. Ouachita Baptist Tigers
Tuesday, November 20 • 7 p.m.
The Field House • Commerce, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (3-2); Ouachita Baptist (2-0)
Live Video: LionAthletics.com
Radio: KETR 88.9 FM (listen online at KETR.org)
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com
Twitter Updates: @Lion_Athletics
A&M-Commerce Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
A&M-Commerce opens up a two-game homestand when the Lions welcome Ouachita Baptist to the Field House for a 7 p.m. tip on Tuesday, November 20th.
Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to the Field House can still keep up to date with every Lion basket against Ouachita Baptist. Live video will also be available through a subscription at LionAthletics.com, costing $7.95 for a single game with season passes also available. KETR 88.9 FM will call the game live with Charlie Chitwood, the "Voice of the Lions" on the call and will stream live at KETR.org. Live stats are available at LionAthletics.com as well with Twitter followers getting in-game updates @Lion_Athletics.
Scouting the Tigers
2012-13: 2-0 overall, 0-0 road
Last Two Games: W vs. LeTourneau (84-56), W vs. Champion Baptist (108-43)
Head Coach: Dennis Nutt (Texas Christian, 1986). Second season at Ouachita Baptist (18-12, .600); Eighth season overall (90-108, .455)
Key Players:
• #23 Michael Morris (Sr., F): 40 pts. (20.0 ppg), 59.3 FG%, 88.9 FT%, 14 reb. (7.0 rpg), 7 blk., 7 stl.
• #15 Austin Mitchell (Sr., G): 30 pts. (15.0 ppg), 72.7 FG%, 77.8 3FG%, 87.5 FT%, 1 ast., 2 stl.
• #45 Colt Fason (So., G): 24 pts. (12.0 ppg), 62.5 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 17 reb. (8.5 rpg), 2 ast.
• #32 Nigel Ramsey (Sr., G): 20 pts. (10.0 ppg), 46.2 FG%, 40.0 3FG%, 85.7 FT%, 6 ast., 9 stl.
• #12 Kyle Francis (Jr., F): 14 pts. (7.0 ppg), 45.5 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 18 reb. (9.0 rpg), 3 blk.
Synopsis: Ouachita Baptist opened up the season with a pair of convincing victories, downing LeTourneau 84-56 before defeating Champion Baptist 108-43 at Bill Vining Arena. Five Tigers scored in double-digits in the victory over Champion Baptist, led by 19 from Austin Mitchell and double-doubles from Michael Morris (17 pts., 10 reb.) and Kyle Francis (10 pts., 12 reb.). Against LeTourneau, Morris again led the way for the Tigers with 23 points, complemented by 16 from Micah Delph and 14 from Nigel Ramsey. Colt Fason just missed a double-double, posting nine points and 10 rebounds.
Series Information
Tuesday marks the 15th meeting between A&M-Commerce and Ouachita Baptist with the Lions holding a 9-5 edge in the all-time series. The two teams last met twice during the 2009-10 season as A&M-Commerce notched a pair of victories, defeating Ouachita Baptist 66-59 at the Field House and a 62-59 decision in Arkadelphia. Those wins snapped a four-game losing streak to the Tigers dating back to the 2007-08 season. Under head coach Sam Walker, A&M-Commerce is 6-5 against Ouachita Baptist, including a 3-2 mark at the Field House.
Whitley Shines at Texan Tip-Off Classic
Senior forward Preston Whitley was expected to be a key player for the Lions in 2012-13 and showed his potential at the Tarleton Texan Tip-Off Classic this past weekend. In the opening game against East Central, Whitley notched 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting while pulling down three rebounds against the Tigers. The following night, Whitley notched his first double-double of the season, scoring 14 points while shooting 4-of-4 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line, recording 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists in the 84-76 victory over UT-Permian Basin. In three games this year, Whitley is averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game.
Walker Hits Form in Victory over UT-Permian Basin
One of the bright spots down the stretch in 2011-12 for A&M-Commerce was the play of forward Devondrick Walker, who was poised to have a breakthrough season in 2012-13. After struggling against both Dallas Baptist and East Central, Walker finally returned to form against UT-Permain Basin, recording a season-high 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Walker was also perfect from the free throw line, hitting all seven attempts to up his season average to 91.7 percent, which ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference. Walker also notched three rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes of action.
Davis Continues To Pace Lions in Senior Campaign
Senior forward Andrew Davis continues to be one of the key figures of the Lions early in the 2012-13 season. After notching his third double-double of the season against Dallas Baptist, recording a career-high 20 points with 11 rebounds, Davis had a quiet night against East Central, finishing with seven rebounds with no points against the Tigers. But the following night against UT-Permian Basin, the spark was back as Davis poured in 17 points with four rebounds, his fourth double-digit point total of the year. Through the first five games of the season, Davis leads the Lions in scoring average (12.0) and rebounding average (8.8) in just under 24 minutes of work per game.
Smith Showing Veteran Leadership
One of the players expected to contribute immediately was senior guard Jason Smith, who transferred to A&M-Commerce from A&M-Corpus Christi this summer. Smith has emerged as one of the Lion go-to players, as after finishing with 15 points and helping spur the comeback against Dallas Baptist, he notched a season-best 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and two assists against East Central. Against UT-Permian Basin, Smith recorded eight points and four assists as he ranks fourth on the team in scoring average (10.2), field goal percentage (56.2%) and rebounds per game (4.6) while leading A&M-Commerce in assists per game (3.6).
Carson Notches Season-High Against Tigers
Senior point guard Stefon Carson hoped to make an impact in his final go-round with A&M-Commerce and hasn't disappointed thus far. Carson had his best game of the season against East Central, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, with four steals. Carson currently sits third on the team in scoring average (10.8) while leading A&M-Commerce in steals per game (1.8) and is third in assists per game (2.0).
Brown Earning His Stripes In Lion Debut
Junior forward Kenny Brown is another newcomer that has made a big impact early in the 2012-13 season. A transfer from South Plains College, Brown has started three of the five games this season, averaging 7.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, ranking second on the Lions in rebounds. Brown has also come up big on the defensive end, leading A&M-Commerce with four blocks on the season and averaging just under one per game. He has pulled down six rebounds in four of the Lions' first five games, highlighted by 10 points in the season opener at St. Edward's.
Looking Ahead
A&M-Commerce will have some time off to enjoy the Thanksgiving break before returning to the court at the Field House on Monday, November 26th when the Lions battle Southern Arkansas at 7 p.m. Following the game against the Muleriders, A&M-Commerce then opens up its 2012-13 Lone Star Conference schedule, traveling to Abilene for the final time to take on the Wildcats on Tuesday, December 4th.
For the complete PDF game notes, click on the link above.