The men’s and women’s basketball games at Tarleton State slated for Saturday have been postponed to Sunday with the women playing at 5 p.m. and the men tipping off at 7 p.m. in Wisdom Gym.
The games, that do have Lone Star Conference implications on both sides, were moved due to the inclement weather that moved through the region.
Women looking for favorable tournament seeding
A&M-Commerce women's basketball (13-12; 7-8 in LSC) travel to Stephenville for a showdown with the Tarleton State TexAnns (16-9; 8-7 in LSC), a game with heavy playoff ramifications on the line for both teams.
The middle of this year's conference race is proving to be the most volatile area of the playoff hunt heading into the final day of regular season competition. Texas Woman's is firmly entrenched in the fifth seed, and can not move. Thus, the TexAnns are in a position where the loser of their game occupies the sixth seed, while the winner will take the fourth seed. With a win, the Lions would finish the regular season 14-12, and would play the Pioneers in the first round of the tournament. With a loss however, the Lions would take the sixth seed, and would play the loser of Saturday's matchup in Wichita Falls between Midwestern State and Cameron.
The last time these two teams faced off against one another was at the end of January, when the TexAnns made the pilgrimage to the Field House. Gabby Scott set a career high in both points (22) and three pointers (six), and Ashlee Johnson cobbled together one of her best stat lines of the season (11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals) which led to her claiming LSC Defensive Player of the Week Honors for the first time in her four year career. In the losing effort, Raven McGrath led the way for the TexAnns, sinking 22 points to go along with three steals.
In their most recent game, a 63-53 loss to Texas Woman's, Abigail Leaupepe-Tele led the way with a 10-15 double-double, which was her second double-double of the year and matched her career high in rebounding. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), the senior's previous 15-rebound game came during her previous double-double, which came in her only other matchup against Texas Woman's on the year. Also of note, La'Tisha Hearne moved up to seventh on the A&M-Commerce all-time rebounding list with her 585th rebound of her career, passing the 584 set by Meshell Graham (1985-1988). She is only six rebounds short of moving up once again, with the next milestone the 590 rebounds set by Stacy Norell (1989-1993).
Though the Lions held them each to single-digit scoring in their first encounter, the TexAnns have relied most heavily upon Kathy Thomas and Ikpeaku Iwobi. Thomas is the third most prolific scorer in the LSC with 13.8 PPG, and also ranks third in three-point percentage (39.4%) and fourth in threes per game (2.1 3PG). Not only is she a gifted scorer, she has the second highest assist total on the team (2.8 APG) and the most steals for TSU on the season with 38. Iwobi meanwhile is no slouch in her own right in the scoring department (10.7 PPG), and is the third best rebounder in the conference with 8.7 RPG.
As a team, the TexAnns are the best in the conference at converting free throws (75.2%), something head coach Jason Burton will have to be mindful of if fouls begin to play a meaningful part in the game. TSU also presents an interesting rebounding matchup for the Lions, because the TexAnns are the best offensive rebounding team in the conference, while the Lions are the best defensive rebounding team in the conference. Besides the TexAnns' edge in three-point efficiency (37.9% vs. 30.1%), the two teams are remarkably similar, with both squads having nearly identical marks in scoring, assists, turnovers and steals.
The two teams have gone at it since the 1973-74 season. Tarleton State has the all-time advantage with a 29-19 record against the Lions.
Men looking to continue success against conference leaders
The A&M-Commerce men's basketball team will cap off their 2014-15 regular season with a tough road test against No. 7 Tarleton State Saturday at 7 p.m. in Wisdom Gym as the Lions look to top the Texans for the second time in the last 12 meetings.
Fast-break Points About A&M-Commerce
- The Lions have won six of their last seven games including a 71-68 win over No. 15 Angelo State in their last game.
- At 21-6 overall the Lions have won 20 games for the first time since 2004-05 ... It's the second time under head coach Sam Walker and the 15th time in program history.
- The Lions are ranked seventh in the South Central region ... A&M-Commerce has played the 11th toughest schedule
- The Lions were ranked in the NABC Top 25 poll for the 26th time in program history ... Last ranking since No. 25 on Dec. 3, 2013.
- Darrell Williams leads the LSC with 17 double-doubles, in scoring 18.1 points per game, rebounds 11.7 rebounds per game -- only player averaging a double-double ... Anthony Adams is second in the LSC In assists at 4.0.
- Williams has grabbed 15 plus rebounds in eight games this season and 20 plus rebounds twice during the year ... He is one of only two NCAA DII players with two 20-rebound games.
- A&M-Commerce fell 104-101 at DBU in OT on November 24 ... The Lions were 50-of-65 from the free throw line ... Both were school records while the 50 makes tied the highest mark in the LSC ... LaDon Carnegie was 18-of-23 for school records in both.
- The Lions are fifth in the NCAA in defensive rebounds, fifth in free throw attempts, sixth in free throws made, 10th in total rebounds and 15th in field goal percentage defense.
- Williams is ranked third in the NCAA in double-doubles with 18 ... Williams is also third in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game, fifth in total rebounds and sixth in rebounds per game.
- A&M-Commerce had a LSC Player of the Week in each of the first four weeks of the season ... Darrell Williams has won one offensive POTW and two straight defensive POTW awards ... LaDon Carnegie was named offensive of POTW once ... Williams followed with his second offensive player of the week on January 12.
- The Lions are coached by Sam Walker ... Walker is in his 15th season with A&M-Commerce and is the school's all-time winningest coach with an overall of 247-178 ... He has compiled a 103-92 record in LSC games.
A&M-Commerce vs. Tarleton State: The Series
- The Lions and Texans have met 61 times prior to Saturday's meeting with Tarleton State holding a slight advantage in the series 32-29 ... The Lion hold a 19-16 advantage in LSC games.
- Tarleton State has won 10 of the last 11 meetings including two of the three games in 2013-14 and the first meeting in 2014-15, 77-73, back on January 31.
- That meeting was the first time the two teams have met as ranked opponents and only the second time both have been ranked at the same time after both were ranked on December 3, 2013.
About the Texans
- Mo Lee leads the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three ... Michael Hardge follows averaging 10.4 ppg ... Lee is also the team's leading rebounder at 4.9 rebounds per game.
- The Texans are currently riding a 12-game winning streak .. Their last loss came back on January 7 to Angelo State.
- Tarleton State leads the LSC in scoring defense allowing only 61.4 points per game ... The Texans also lead the league in three-point shooting percentage at 39.6 percent.