No. 12 Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team held Southern Arkansas without a point over the last 4:05 of the game en route to a 55-50 win over Southern Arkansas on Saturday evening in Magnolia, Arkansas.

The Lions (1-0) were held to 34.6% shooting from the field in the first 20 minutes, but their stifling defense forced SAU to shoot 26.1% from the field. A&M-Commerce senior Dominee Evans scored the first six points of the game as the Lions jumped out to a 10-2 advantage in the first 5:19 of the contest. The Lions led for the entire first half as the A&M-Commerce frontline of Evans, Katedria Mosley and Nola Taylor combined for 17 of the 23 points.

A 9-2 run by Southern Arkansas to start the second half put the Lady Muleriders in front 30-29 when Goldie White hit a three pointer but A&M-Commerce senior Melissa Bratton put the Lions back in front with a pair of three throws. The Mount Pleasant native in her first game as a Lion scored a team-high 13 points in the second half en route to a team-high 17 in the win.

Kayla Jones brought the Lady Muleriders back into the game with five points to tie the game for only the second time, 46-46, with 6:14 left in the game. Teammate Shanye Davis scored the next three points to put SAU in front 49-46, but Bratton and Evans brought the Lions back. A three-point play by Evans with 2:22 left and a three pointer by Bratton with 1:33 remaining ended any SAU comeback efforts.

The Lions will return home for its home opener on Tuesday at 6 pm at the A&M-Commerce Field House against Paul Quinn.