Lions Set to Host Tarleton State and Midwestern State

Dec. 5, 2007

DISCOUNTS: Fans can receive a discount on their admission by bringing a can good to Thursday's game against Tarleton State. With each can, a $1 will be taken off your ticket price for a maximum of a $2 discount. All collected can goods will be given to the Commerce Food Bank.

MAKE A THREE, MAKE A DONATION: For each Lions three pointer, the A&M-Commerce Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be collecting donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

RECORD BOOK WRITER: As senior Katedria Mosley enters her final season at A&M-Commerce, she will leave a mark in the A&M-Commerce Record Book. Last week, the Idabel, Oklahoma native eclipsed the school record for free throws attempted (530). She is 8 made free throws shy of the career free throws made record and 15 blocks away from the career blocked shots mark.

SPEED LIMIT - 60: A key reason for the Lions success for the last two-plus seasons has been the stifling defense. Dating back to the 2005-06 season, the Lions have posted a 21-1 mark when holding opponents to under 60 points.

"WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE": Over the last two-plus seasons, the Lions have posted a 35-1 home record at the A&M-Commerce Field House. The last loss came when West Texas A&M defeated A&M-Commerce on December 7, 2006. The Lions avenged the defeat in the Lone Star Conference Tournament final with an 81-71 win.

DID YOU KNOW? Texas A&M University-Commerce head women's basketball coach Denny Downing got his master's degree from Tarleton State University. He served as a graduate assistant from 1989 to 1991 with the Texans and TexAnns. During that time, the men's program posted a 52-10 record and the women's team recorded a 37-22 mark in the two years.

DOWNING FOR MAYOR: Texas A&M University-Commerce head women's basketball coach Denny Downing has enjoyed success while playing in Commerce. As he enters his sixth year as the Lions head coach, Downing has posted a 44-25 (.627) record at contests in the A&M-Commerce Field House.

"GET THAT OUTTA HERE!": A&M-Commerce posted a season-high five blocked shots in the most recent game against Eastern New Mexico. Last year, A&M-Commerce had a season-high seven rejections in the season opener against Lock Haven. 26 times since 2002-03, the Lions have posted five-or-more blocked shots in a game.

QUICK STARTS: For the fourth time in the 36-year history of the Lions women's basketball program, A&M-Commerce started the season with a 4-1 mark. Other years of a 4-1 start are the 1971-72, 1982-83 and most recently, 2005-06. The 3-0 start for the Lions marked only the third time that the Lions won three consecutive games to start a season - 1971-72 (first year of the program) and 1976-77. NOTE: A&M-Commerce has never had a 4-0 start in school history.

BOMBS AWAY!: Since being hired prior to the 2002-03 season, head women's basketball coach Denny Downing and the Lions have been prolific from the three-point line, making 767 three pointers. On nine occasions, most recently against Washburn (11), the Lions have hit 10-or-more three pointers in a game.

THEFT: A&M-Commerce came away with 21 steals against Rockhurst, the most since a 23-steal effort in the second game of the season, last year against North Georgia College and State. Over the last six years, under Downing, the Lions have had six games where they have recorded 20-or-more steals.

AIR JORDAN EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: For the fourth time in her career and the first time in 2007-08, junior guard Britney Jordan was named Lone Star Conference North Division Player of the Week last Monday. The All-American candidate from Peoria, Illinois scored 39 points in the Lions' 79-76 loss to No. 6 Washburn in the championship game of the Capitol Plaza Hotel/580 WIBW Radio Holiday Classic. She scored 31 of her 39 points in the second half, in addition to a career-high eight three pointers. During a stretch in the second half, she scored eight points as the Lions were trailing 47-45 and rallied to put the Lions ahead 53-49 with 10:07 left in the game.

BOARDGAMES: "There is no glory in rebounding--just victory," said George Raveling, a former basketball coach at the University of Iowa and the University of Washington. A&M-Commerce grabbed 70 rebounds in the 65-40 win over Southern Arkansas - school record: 72. 43 of the 70 rebounds were on the offensive side of the ball. Earlier this year, the Lions out rebounded the Tigers of Paul Quinn by 18. It equals the largest advantage by A&M-Commerce since they out rebounded another Tiger team - East Central - February 14, 2007.

FIRST POINTS: Freshman Erica Anderson hit back-to-back three pointers in the Lions' win over Eastern New Mexico for the first six points of her A&M-Commerce career.

SHHHHH: Junior guard Britney Jordan was held to four points in 33 minutes of action against Eastern New Mexico. It matches the fewest points by the Peoria, Illinois native since her first game at A&M-Commerce, last year, in the season opener against Lock Haven.

PRE-SEASON PROGNISTICATIONS: Led by the vote of Texas A&M University-Commerce junior guard Britney Jordan as the Lone Star Conference North Division Preseason Player of the Year, the Lions women's basketball team was picked to finish first for a second-straight year. Jordan was the top choice in 17 of the 20 ballots in the North. The Peoria, Illinois native is coming off a sophomore season where she earned first team All-Lone Star Conference North Division and Newcomer of the Year honors en route to leading the Lions to their first-ever LSC North title, LSC Tournament crown and the NCAA South Central Regional Championship. She also was named the tournament MVP for the LSC Tournament. A&M-C received 18 of 20 first-place votes and totaled 136 total points as the top team in the balloting of LSC coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives. Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State finished second and third, respectively, with each team collecting one of the remaining two first-place tallies. The Bronchos finished with 110 total points and the RiverHawks totaled 90 points. Southeastern Oklahoma was fourth with 86 points, followed by East Central fifth with 64, Southwestern Oklahoma sixth with 41 and Cameron seventh with 33.

DESTINATION: BARTLESVILLE: The Lone Star Conference and the Bartlesville Sports Commission (BSC) is in its first year of a three-year agreement that allows Bartlesville, Okla., to host the LSC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments for three consecutive years, beginning in 2008. Tournament games will be played at Bartlesville High's Bruins Field House, which opened its doors this past fall. The $5.5 million, 2,221-seat field house is owned and operated by Bartlesville Public Schools and features 1,121 chairbacks along the sidelines and bleacher seating for 1,100 along the baselines. Additionally, there are two concession stands, a spacious athletic training area, seven fully-equipped locker rooms and a hospitality room that overlooks the playing court. The arena has a state-of-the art scoreboard and video board as well.

LONE STAR ROOTS: Five of the 12 players on the A&M-Commerce hail from the state of Texas. The roster also includes three players from California - Tarika Campbell (Long Beach), Sherona Edwards (Los Angeles), Nola Taylor (Oakland), two from Illinois - Britney Jordan (Peoria) and Alycea Wallace (Rockford) and one from Michigan - Angelique Robinson (Detroit) and one from Oklahoma - Katedria Mosley (Idabel).

NEW BUT CLOSE TO HOME: Five of the Lions are playing less than two hours from home - according to Mapquest.com. Freshman guard Genevieve Campbell is the closest by time with a 48-minute trip home to Rockwall (45.3 miles) and fellow freshman Erica Anderson also has a close trip home by miles to Paris with a 38.7-mile trek and 49 minutes. Also close to home is senior Melissa Bratton from Mt. Pleasant (62.3 miles, 1 hr. 6 minutes), junior Brittany Williams, who grew up in Arlington (87.3 miles, 1 hr. 33 minutes) and Dominee Evans, who hails from Fort Worth (98.9 miles, 1 hr. 43 minutes).

LIONS IN THE TOP 25: Texas A&M University-Commerce ended the season ranked No. 13 in the final USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Division II Coaches' Poll. It was the first national ranking for the Lions in school history. The Lions are ranked No. 18 in the second poll for the 2007-08 season. At the top of the poll is the University of North Dakota, who like the Lions advanced to the Elite Eight. 2007-08 Lions opponents, Washburn is No. 3 and West Texas A&M is No. 20.

USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Division II Coaches' Week Two Poll:

1. University of North Dakota - 23
2. Delta State University (Miss.) - 2
3. Washburn University (Kan.)
4. University Of California-San Diego
5. University Of Alaska Anchorage - 1
6. Indiana University Of Pennsylvania
7. Emporia State University (Kan.)
8. Southern Connecticut State University
9. California State University, Chico
10. Clayton State University (Ga.)
11. Valdosta State University (Ga.)
12. Drury University (Mo.)
13. Glenville State College (W. Va.)
14. Augustana College (S.D.)
15. Concordia University, St. Paul (Minn.)
16. Northern Kentucky University
17. Shaw University (N.C.)
18. Texas A&M University-Commerce
19. Holy Family University (Pa.)
20. West Texas A&M University
21. Bentley College (Mass.)
22. Stonehill College (Mass.)
23. Florida Institute of Technology
24. University of South Carolina Aiken
25. University of Tampa (Fla.)

ROARING 90's: 30 times in school history the Lions have poured in 90 or more points. In the process, A&M-Commerce has a posted a 29-1 record when reaching the 90-point plateau. Last year, the Lions reached the mark on five occasions, posting a perfect 5-0 mark and it is the most times that the Lions have scored 90 or more points.