Box Score COMMERCE, Texas – Southern Arkansas fought back from a first half 17-point deficit, but Texas A&M-Commerce countered with a 10-0 run over the final 2:41 to hand the Muleriders their first loss in a 74-67 decision Monday at The Field House.
 
Devondrick Walker scored 20 points to lead the Lions (5-2), and Preston Whitley added 19 points and nine rebounds.
 
Junior forward Terrell Shears (Kansas City, Mo.) paced SAU (3-1) with 14 points and eight rebounds.  Senior guard Rodney Hill (Shreveport, La.) scored 11 points, and junior forward Nigel Jones (Wadley, Ala.) chipped in 10.
 
After trailing 31-14 with five minutes left in the first half, Southern Arkansas mounted a furious rally in outscoring the Lions 37-22 over a 20-minute span to take a 64-59 lead with 4:28 left in the game.
 
A jumper by Walker and three-pointer from Tyrie Wooten then evened it at 64-64.  Hill drained a three to put the Muleriders back up 67-64 at 2:48, but that was it for SAU as they missed all four field goal attempts the rest of the way as A&M-Commerce closed it with the 10-0 run.
 
Southern Arkansas hung close at the beginning of an 11-10 Lion lead at 13:11 in the first half, but Texas A&M-Commerce used a 20-4 run to stretch it to the 31-14 game.  That's when the Muleriders started making their run, closing with a 13-6 spree to cut it to 37-27 at the half.
 
The Lions were hot throughout, shooting at a 51 percent clip for the game on 26 of 51 from the floor, including 7 of 18 (38.9 percent) three-pointers.
 
SAU managed just 11 of 30 (36.7 percent) shooting in the first half, but closed with 15 of 32 (46.9 percent) in the second to finish 26 of 62 (41.9 percent) for the game.  They knocked down 9 of 27 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
 
The foul line hurt Southern Arkansas, connecting on 6 of 9, but because they got 14 less attempts, as the home team was 15 of 23.
 
A&M-Commerce held a 36-32 rebound advantage, out-scoring the Muleriders 34-24 inside.
 
SAU gets a return game at home with the Lions December 19.
 
Southern Arkansas opens Great American Conference play in an Oklahoma road trip at the end of the week.  They face Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, before taking on Southwestern Oklahoma State Saturday in Weatherford at 4 p.m.