A&M-COMMERCE RETURNS TO POSTSEASON FACING FAMILIAR FOE
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&M-Commerce (14-15) | 41 | 43 | 84 |
| Midwestern State (20-7) | 45 | 47 | 92 |
| Allen, TX (Allen Events Center) | |||
| A&M-Commerce | Midwestern State |
|---|---|
| Pts: Preston Whitley - 19 | Pts: GRAYER, Kevin - 33 |
| Reb: Andrew Davis - 12 | Reb: GIBBS, Derrell - 8 |
| Ast: Stefon Carson - 6 | Ast: 4 Players (#03, #05, #14, #24 - 3) |
| Team Statistics | A&M-Commerce | Midwestern State |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 37.5% (24-64 ) | 58.3% (35-60 ) |
| Rebounds | 40 | 34 |
| Assists | 14 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 12 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 8 | 20 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 16 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 18 | 32 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 8 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 37 | 41 |
A&M-Commerce Lions vs. Midwestern State Mustangs
2013 Lone Star Conference Quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 6 • 8:30 p.m.
Allen Event Center • Allen, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (14-14, 7-11 LSC); Midwestern State (19-7, 14-4 LSC)
Video: FoxSportsSouthwest.com
Radio: KETR 88.9 FM (online at KETR.org)
Live Statistics: LionAthletics.com
Twitter Updates: @Lion_Athletics
A&M-Commerce Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
A&M-Commerce returns to the postseason for the ninth-straight time, making the short trip to the Allen Event Center for the 2013 Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship. The Lions are the #8 seed and will meet up with an all-too-familiar opponent in top-seeded Midwestern State in the LSC quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 6 at 8:30 p.m.
Come Catch the Lions in Allen
A&M-Commerce fans have a chance to see both the men and women's teams in action in the LSC tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season as both will make the trek to the Allen Event Center. The women face Abilene Christian at noon on Wednesday, March 6, followed by the men against Midwestern State at 8:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Allen Event Center box office, with single-session tickets costing $15 for adults and $10 for students. In between sessions, there will be a gathering for A&M-Commerce fans at Kelly's at the Village, just down the road from the arena, from 3:00-5:00.
Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to the Allen Event Center for the 2013 LSC Basketball Championship will have plenty of options to keep up with the Lions as they look to make a push toward a conference title. Each game of the tournament will be streamed live online at FoxSportsSouthwest.com with the championship game airing on Fox Sport Southwest. Charlie Chitwood, the "Voice of the Lions" will once again carry the game live on KETR 88.9 FM and online at KETR.org. Live statistics will be available at LionAthletics.com with Twitter followers getting in-game updates @Lion_Athletics.
A&M-Commerce LSC Tournament History
A&M-Commerce's trip to the Allen Event Center marks the ninth-straight trip to the postseason for the Lions, the second-longest streak in the conference behind Tarleton State's 11-straight appearances. A&M-Commerce will also be making its 34th trip to the postseason tournament, the most of any Lone Star Conference school, as the Lions have played 54 tournament games, posting an overall record of 24-30 (.444). Under head coach Sam Walker, A&M-Commerce has now made the postseason in 11 of his 13 seasons, compiling a 5-9 mark (.357), including capturing the 2005 LSC tournament title.
Field Set for 2013 Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship
The field for the 2013 Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship is set as eight teams decend upon Allen, Texas, vying for the tournament crown this week. In a change of pace from previous tournaments, two quarterfinals will be held Wednesday, March 6th, including A&M-Commerce's showdown with Midwestern State at 8:30 p.m. The two final quarterfinals will be held Thursday, March 7, followed by the semifinals on Friday, March 8 and the LSC championship game on Saturday, March 9.
2013 LSC Basketball Championship Men's Bracket
Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal One: (2) Cameron vs. (7) West Texas A&M • Wednesday • 2:30 pm.
Quarterfinal Two: (1) Midwestern State vs. (8) A&M-Commerce • Wednesday • 8:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal Three: (3) Tarleton State vs. (6) Eastern New Mexico • Thursday • 2:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal Four: (4) Incarnate Word vs. (5) Texas A&M-Kingsville • Thursday • 8:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Semifinal One: Winner Quarterfinal Two vs. Winner Quarterfinal Four • Friday • 2:30 p.m.
Semifinal Two: Winner Quarterfinal One vs. Winner Quarterfinal Three • Friday • 8:30 p.m.
Final
Championship Game: Semifinal One Winner vs. Semifinal Two Winner • Saturday • 8:30 p.m.
Scouting the Mustangs
2012-13: 19-7 overall, 14-4 Lone Star Conference (1st), 2-0 neutral
Last Three Games: W vs. Paul Quinn (105-77), L at Tarleton State (75-60), W vs. A&M-Commerce (85-67)
Head Coach: Nelson Haggerty (Baylor, 2000). Second season at Midwestern State (48-11, .813)
Key Players:
• #34 Corbin Thomas (Sr. F): 365 pts. (14.0 ppg), 56.5 FG%, 66.7 FT%, 227 reb., 31 blk., 17 stl.
• #3 Kevin Grayer (Sr., G): 296 pts. (11.4 ppg), 45.8 FG%, 33.3 3FG%, 75.5 FT%, 99 reb., 86 ast., 32 stl.
• #5 Keith Spellman (So., G): 217 pts. (9.9 ppg), 32.6 FG%, 29.8 3FG%, 66.1 FT%, 55 reb., 25 ast.
• #24 Cam Adderley (Jr., G): 235 pts. (9.0 ppg), 44.2 FG%, 29.5 3FG%, 66.7 FT%, 129 reb., 29 stl.
• #14 Derrell Gibbs (So., G): 139 pts. (5.3 ppg), 32.0 FG%, 37.6 FT%, 48.1 FT%, 122 reb., 57 ast., 16 blk.
Synopsis: Midwestern State captured its fifth LSC regular-season title in the past seven years with a 14-4 mark in conference play and is 19-7 on the year. The Mustangs rank among the LSC leaders in a handful of categories, including leading the league in both field goal percentage defense (39.8%) and three-point field goal percentage defense (30.9) and is the LSC's top rebounding team, averaging just shy of 42 boards per game.
Series Information: A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State are no strangers to each other as Wednesday marks the 80th all-time meeting and the ninth in the past three seasons. The Mustangs lead the all-time series 47-32 as the teams split this season's games, winning on their respective home courts. Head coach Sam Walker has posted a 5-16 mark all-time against Midwestern Stateas the Lions and Mustangs have met in the LSC quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons.
Lions Limping Into Postseason
A&M-Commerce chose the wrong time of the season to lose its shooting touch as the Lions head into the Lone Star Conference tournament having lost four-straight games, beginning with the 85-67 loss at Midwestern State on Feb. 20. During that span, the Lions have shot just 36.8 percent from the floor and 21.7 percent from three-point range, a statistic A&M-Commerce led the Lone Star Conference in before the start of the four-game skid. It is a far cry from last year when the Lions had to win their final three games of the regular season to qualify for the tournament.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Heading into the Lone Star Conference tournament, A&M-Commerce remains one of the top scoring teams in the Lone Star Conference, averaging 73.4 points per game. 74 points has truly been the breaking point for the Lions this season as A&M-Commerce is 13-3 in games where it scores 74 or more, while sitting just 1-11 when it scores less. The one victory that came shy of the 74-point plateau was the 69-59 win over Ouachita Baptist on November 20th.
Davis Named First Team Academic All-American
Senior forward Andrew Davis continued to add to his impressive resume last week as he was named a first team Capital One Academic All-American by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It marks the second All-America honor for Davis, who was a third team selection in 2011-12, as the Lions have now had a first team honoree in back-to-back seasons (Desmond King in 2011-12). The reigning Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year, Davis ranks among the LSC leaders in field goal percentage and rebounding and has already set career highs in points, rebounds and blocks. Davis boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA with a major in finance and has been a President's List selection each semester during his time at A&M-Commerce.
Double-Double Davis
In his first game after being named a first team Academic All-American, senior Andrew Davis came up big for the Lions against Cameron on February 23rd, leading A&M-Commerce with 11 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, notching his team-best fifth double-double of the season. Nine double-doubles have been recorded by A&M-Commerce players on the season, as Preston Whitley, Jason Smith and Tyrie Wooten all accomplishing the feat as well.
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)
• Andrew Davis - 11 pts., 14 reb. vs. Cameron (Feb. 20, 2012)
Lions Among Lone Star Conference Top-10
With the regular season complete, A&M-Commerce continues to rank among the Lone Star Conference leaders in a handful of categories. The Lions currently sit first in the LSC in assists (15.1 apg) while checking in at second in scoring offense (73.4 ppg), rebounding (37.4 rpg) and steals (7.3 spg) and are third in both free throw percentage (68.9%) and three-point field goal percentage (36.6%). Individually, five Lions rank among the top-10 in nine statistical categories, led by Andrew Davis ranking second in defensive rebounds per game (5.3) and fourth in field goal percentage (54.2%) with Devondrick Walker sitting second in free throw percentage (81.8%).
For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above
