Texas A&M-Commerce Jumps past SAU, 74-64

Contact: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Texas A&M-Commerce used a strong inside game to leap past Southern Arkansas, 74-64, Saturday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.

The Lions (3-6) won the battle of the boards with a 45-25 rebound advantage to post big inside numbers in fighting off the Muleriders (5-3). TAMUC outscored SAU 46-18 in the lane and also held a 15-4 margin in second-chance points. Both Champ Sylvester and Rashad Brown pulled down eight rebounds, while Lance Jackson grabbed seven in leading A&M-Commerce. Sixteen of those came on the defensive end as the Lions limited Southern Arkansas’ scoring chances, holding them to just eight offensive rebounds on the night. Cameron Butler was the lone sweeper for the Muleriders, snatching a career-high 10 of their 25 total, six of those offensively.

Trailing 35-33 at halftime, SAU scooted out to a 43-39 lead in the first three and a half minutes of play in the second frame. Cory Green and Mori Turpin each hit jumpers, and Turpin’s and Brandon Williams’ three-pointers completed the 10-4 run, which left Southern Arkansas with what would be their largest lead of the game at 16:26. But back inside went TAMUC, getting a lay-up from Scooby Johnson and a tip-in and lay-up from Sylvester to ignite a 19-4 run which put them in charge, 61-47 with 8:51 left. The Muleriders hung around and were within eight, 70-62, with 2:27 remaining, but Texas A&M-Commerce was able to hold on for the 10-point win.

The Lions jumped out to a 12-3 advantage in the first half, before SAU used a 10-0 spree for their first lead at 13-12 with 13:10 on the clock. The two teams pushed each other back and forth until Butler’s two freebies knotted it at 25-25 at 6:26. TAMUC took control from there, pushing to a five-point advantage before the deuce lead at the break.

Southern Arkansas had been able to counter their shortcomings on the boards with good shooting so far, but that proved to be a problem Saturday as they hit just 22 of 58 for 37.9 percent. That included nine of 26 (34.6) from downtown, leaving them just 13 of 32 (41.0) from inside the arc. Solid at the free throw line, they canned 84.6 percent, but only went there 13 times, hitting 11.

A&M-Commerce got 30 of 60 to fall for 50 percent, including seven of 18 (38.9) treys, and was seven of nine (77.8) from the stripe.

Sylvester led all scorers with 17 points, while Kevin Widemond added 15, Johnson 14, and Jackson 12. The Lions only used seven players throughout the game.

Turpin posted 15 points for the Muleriders, Green chipped in 14, and Butler had 11 to go with his 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.

SAU had but 14 turnovers in the game, while TAMUC committed 16.

Southern Arkansas continues play Tuesday when they host Central Baptist College out of Conway in a 7 p.m. tip-off.