LIONS OPEN UP LSC'S SECOND HALF WITH REMATCH AT TARLETON STATE
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&M-Commerce (11-9, 4-6 LSC) | 23 | 32 | 55 |
| Tarleton State (12-6, 5-5 LSC) | 34 | 34 | 68 |
| Stephenville, TX (Wisdom Gym) | |||
| A&M-Commerce | Tarleton State |
|---|---|
| Pts: Devondrick Walker - 19 | Pts: GUY, Chuck - 25 |
| Reb: Andrew Davis - 8 | Reb: CLEMONS, Damion - 7 |
| Ast: Tyrie Wooten - 6 | Ast: 2 Players (#20, #04 - 3) |
| Team Statistics | A&M-Commerce | Tarleton State |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 43.9% (18-41 ) | 42.6% (20-47 ) |
| Rebounds | 30 | 32 |
| Assists | 10 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 8 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 8 | 17 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 4 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 16 | 14 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 33 | 11 |
A&M-Commerce Lions at Tarleton State Texans
Saturday, February 2nd • 7:00 p.m.
Wisdom Gym • Stephenville, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (11-8, 4-5 LSC); Tarleton State (11-6, 4-5 LSC)
Radio: KETR 88.9 FM (listen online at KETR.org)
Video: TarletonSports.com
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com
Twitter Updates: @Lion_Athletics
A&M-Commerce Weekly Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
A&M-Commerce opens up the second half of the 2012-13 Lone Star Conference schedule heading to Stephenville for the second part of its home-and-home series with Tarleton State. The Lions and Texans square off at 7 p.m. Saturday, February 2nd, at Wisdom Gym.
Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Stephenville for this Saturday's game against LSC rival Tarleton State can still keep up to date with every A&M-Commerce basket. The showdown with the Texans will be broadcast live on KETR 88.9 FM with Charlie Chitwood on the call, while also streaming live online at KETR.org. Live video of Saturday's game will be available at TarletonSports.com with live stats available as well at LionAthletics.com. Fans who follow @Lion_Athletics on Twitter can also get in-game updates.
Log Jam in the LSC Standings
A lot is on the line this Saturday when the Lions and Texans meet at Wisdom Gym as the two continue to battle for seeding in an extremely competitive Lone Star Conference. Heading into Saturday's showdown, both A&M-Commerce and Tarleton State sit at 4-5 in conference play, tied for seventh in the standings. Every win is crucial at this point as just three games separate third-place Cameron (7-4) from ninth-place Abilene Christian (4-7), with West Texas A&M (5-6), Eastern New Mexico (5-6) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-6) all jockeying for position as the 2012-13 season heads into the final stretch.
Scouting the Texans
2012-13: 11-6 overall, 4-5 Lone Star Conference (T-7th), 10-2 home
Last Three Games: W vs. McMurry (65-52); W at A&M-Commerce (70-61); W vs. West Texas A&M (65-50)
Head Coach: Lonn Reisman (Pittsburgh State, 1978). 25th season at Tarleton State (521-224, .703)
Key Players:
• #4 Chuck Guy (Jr., G): 188 pts. (11.1 ppg), 35.7 FG%, 27.3 3FG%, 74.1 FT%, 67 reb., 75 ast., 22 stl.
• #2 De'Andre Upchurch (Jr., G): 186 pts. (10.9 ppg), 38.4 FG%, 35.8 3FG%, 66.7 FT%, 34 reb., 32 ast.
• #20 Coleman Furst (Jr., G): 183 pts. (10.8 ppg), 45.0 FG%, 47.9 3FG%, 76.9 FT%, 40 reb., 32 ast.
• #22 Brian Word (Sr., G): 134 pts. (7.9 ppg), 39.1 FG%, 33.3 3FG%, 63.3 FG%, 78 reb., 17 ast., 23 stl.
• #1 Jon Cathey-Macklin (Jr., F): 64 pts. (3.8 ppg), 49.0 FG%, 45.2 FT%, 87 reb., 23 blk.
Synopsis: Tarleton State enters the weekend tied with A&M-Commerce for seventh in the Lone Star Conference standings, boasting a three-game winning streak. The Texans improved to 10-2 at home on the year taking care of non-conference opponent McMurry 65-52 Wednesday evening. Tarleton State remains one of the top defensive teams in the Lone Star Conference, ranking second in scoring defense (58.8 ppg), third in field goal percent defense (40.4%) and first in blocks per game (4.4).
Series Information: A&M-Commerce and Tarleton State meet for the 57th time Saturday afternoon as the Lions hold a slim 29-27 edge in the all-time series. However it has been the Texans that have had the upper hand in recent years, bringing a six-game winning streak into Wisdom Gym Saturday afternoon thanks to the Texans' 70-61 victory over A&M-Commerce last Saturday at the Field House. Tarleton State is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings as the Lions' last victory in the series was an 85-67 win in Stephenville in 2008-09. Head coach Sam Walker has posted an 8-14 mark against the Texans in his career and is 3-6 against Tarleton State in Stephenville.
The Week That Was
A&M-Commerce had everything going its way early on against Tarleton State Saturday, shooting over 60% from the floor and building a 12-point cushion at 32-20. But the Lions couldn't hold the lead as the Texans used a 13-2 run to close out the first half, then a 19-2 run in the second to reclaim control, toppling A&M-Commerce 70-61 at the Field House. Preston Whitley led the way for the Lions, finishing with 15 points, while Andrew Davis, Tyrie Wooten and Stefon Carson each added 11 points. Wooten recorded his first double-double in a Lion uniform, adding a career-best 10 assists, but the quartet got little help from the rest of the team as five other players combined for just 13 points.
Strength vs. Strength
Saturday's game could well be determined by whichever team is able to dictate the pace of the game as it pits A&M-Commerce's offense against Tarleton State's defense. The Lions continue to rank as one of the Lone Star Conference's top offensive squads, sitting second in scoring offense (75.2 ppg), third in three-point percentage (36.9%) and first in assists (15.8 apg), while the Texans are second in the LSC in scoring defense (58.8 ppg), third in field goal defense (40.4%) and first in blocks per game (4.4). One of the biggest discrepancies in the first game between the two came at the free throw line as Tarleton State attempted 30 free throws compared to just five for A&M-Commerce, negating the Lions' advantage from the line (67.5% compared to 63.9%).
Wooten Joins Lion Double-Double Club
With his 11-point, 10-assist performance against Tarleton State Saturday, Tyrie Wooten became the fourth Lion to record a double-double thus far in the 2012-13 season. Andrew Davis has led the way for A&M-Commerce, recording four already on the season with Preston Whitley adding another against UT-Permian Basin and Jason Smith accomplishing the feat against Angelo State. The seven double-doubles in 2012-13 surpasses the total number from the 2011-12 season, one in which Davis had two other performances.
2012-13 A&M-Commerce Double-Doubles
• Andrew Davis - 13 pts., 11 rebs. at St. Edward's (Nov. 9, 2012)
• Andrew Davis - 10 pts., 10 rebs. vs. UT-Permian Basin (Nov. 10, 2012)
• Andrew Davis - 20 pts., 11 rebs. vs. Dallas Baptist (Nov. 13, 2012)
• Preston Whitley - 14 pts., 10 rebs vs. UT-Permian Basin (Nov. 17, 2012)
• Andrew Davis - 12 pts. 10 rebs. vs. Ouachita Baptist (Nov. 20, 2012)
• Jason Smith - 19 pts, 12 rebs. vs. Angelo State (Dec. 8, 2012)
• Tyrie Wooten - 11 pts., 10 ast. vs. Tarleton State (Jan. 26, 2012)
Davis Claims Capital One Academic All-District Honors Once Again
Senior forward Andrew Davis has once again been one of five players named a Capital One Academic All-District IV first team selection, announced Thursday by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It marks the second-straight year Davis has been an All-District selection as he was a third team Academic All-American in 2011-12. The 2011-12 Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year, Davis currently leads the LSC in defensive rebounds per game (5.2) while sitting fourth in rebounds per game (7.1), fifth in field goal percentage (57.5%) and 11th in offensive rebounds per game (1.9). He has also excelled in the classroom, boasting a perfect 4.00 GPA majoring in finance and has been a two-time LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll and six-time A&M-Commerce President's List selection.
Lions Among Lone Star Conference Top-10
With the 2012-13 season beginning its second half, a number of Lions continue to make their marks on the Lone Star Conference leaderboard. Six different A&M-Commerce hoopsters rank among the individual top-10 in eight different categories, led by Andrew Davis, who ranks first in defensive rebounds, fourth in rebounds per game and fifth in field goal percentage. Preston Whitley and Tyrie Wooten are among the conference leaders in a pair of categories as well as Whitley sits fifth in points per game and 10th in three-point field goal percentage while Wooten is eighth in both assists and assist to turnover ratio. Jason Smith, Devondrick Walker and Stefon Carson also cracked the list of the LSC leaders for the Lions, making their marks among the leaders in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio, respectively.
Looking Ahead
A&M-Commerce returns home to the Field House on Wednesday, February 6th, hosting longtime Lone Star Conference rival Abilene Christian for the final time. Tip-off against the Wildcats is schedule for 4 p.m. The Lions then open up a crucial two-game road trip at Angelo State on Saturday, February 9th, tipping off against the Rams at 7:30 p.m. from the Junell Center in San Angelo. Full coverage of all A&M-Commerce games (video, audio, stats) is available by accessing the Game Day section at LionAthletics.com.
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