Lions Fall to Tarleton State, 84-60

Both Tarleton State and Texas A&M University-Commerce had three players in double figures but it was a 25-to-2 margin on bench that led the visiting TexAnns to a 84-60 win over host Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday afternoon at the Field House.

Texas A&M-Commerce (3-9) got a game-high 23 points from junior Nikki Garner (pictured) and juniors Genevieve Campbell and Mattilyn McIntyre added 14 and 11 points, respectively in the loss.

Tarleton State (12-1) got 16 points each from Brittnie Haley and Shelby Adamson and Whitney Stehling added 10 more in the win.

Neither team was able to sustain any momentum in the early minutes until a brief 6-0 spurt by the TexAnns put TSU in front 13-7 and for the remainder of the contest. A&M-Commerce managed to cut the deficit to five on a pair of occasions in the opening half.

Tarleton went into the halftime break with a 35-27 advantage, including a 13-2 margin on bench points. A&M-Commerce came out of the intermission with six-straight points, four of which came from Garner, to cut the Tarleton lead to 37-33 with 17:09 left.

The TexAnns answered the threat with nine in a row to put the lead at double digits and it would remain that way for the remainder of the contest.

Tarleton State made 57.6% of its shots in the second half and outscored the Lions by a 13 to 2 margin on points on turnovers as well as the bench continued to spark the TexAnns as they outscored the Lions by a 22 to 0 margin on bench points en route to the win.

A&M-Commerce will now turn its attention to Lone Star Conference North Division play when they face Southwestern Oklahoma State on Wednesday night at 6 p.m.