Box Score

COMMERCE, Texas – Trailing by 20 points at halftime, the Southern Arkansas men's basketball team launched a furious second half comeback as they shot an incredible 63% from the floor and out-scored Texas A&M-Commerce by 14 points in the final 20 minutes. The fierce SAU comeback attempt would fall short, however as A&M-Commerce held on for a 92-86 win.
 
The sizable first half deficit for the Muleriders (1-1) came, in part, as a result of an efficient success rate from beyond the arc by the Lions (2-0). In the first 20 minutes, the Lions made good on 9-of-17 tries from long distance for a three-point percentage of 53%.
 
Another contributing factor was that the Muleriders were unable to stay in their offense much in the first half as the Lions forced 12 turnovers. Those 12 SAU turnovers turned into 18 points for TAMC on the other end of the court.
 
Despite the difficult first half, the Muleriders came back in the second half and began to make their comeback charge.
 
After the Lions stretched their lead back out to 20 points at the 19:05 mark of the second half, SAU would go on a 12-0 run over the next four minutes of play to get the game back to within single digits, 52-44. Sparking that run was three straight field goals (two layups and a dunk) by Alre'k Brown. Brown, who was limited in the first half with foul trouble, exploded for 22 points in the second half and ended with a game-high 25 points.
 
The Lions broke the Muleriders' run with a three-pointer by LaDon Carnegie at the 16:28 mark of the second half. From there, TAMC would maintain at least a six-point lead over the next six and a half minutes of game time.
 
With 8:46 left in the game, the Muleriders would get as close as they had been since the 13:25 mark of the first half when Nemo Sanchez canned a three-pointer to make the score 68-65. The Muleriders would not be able to get any closer at that time as over the next two minutes, the Lions went on an 11-2 run to take a 12-point lead, 79-67.
 
A quick 6-0 run by the Muleriders over the next minute cut their deficit in half and put them back in the game, 79-73, with just over five minutes to play.
 
The Muleriders would continue to battle as the game neared its end, but SAU wasn't ever able to capture the lead from the Lions as TAMC was able hold on for the 92-86 win.
 
Statistically, four Muleriders scored in double figures with Brown leading the way with 25 points. Behind Brown was Sanchez with 17 points. Tyrell Taylor and Jeffrey Walker followed with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Walker was the leading rebounder for the Muleriders with nine boards.
 
Taylor dished out the most assists with eight for the game.