Fresh off of its 2-0 start to the 2014-15 season, the A&M-Commerce men’s basketball team returns to the hardwood at Ouachita Baptist Thursday, November 20 at 7 p.m. in Bill Vining Arena.
Fast-break Points About A&M-Commerce
- A&M-Commerce opened the season with wins over Lubbock Christian and New Mexico Highlands ... Darrell Williams led the Lions with back-to-back 20 point games.
- Williams was named LSC Offensive Player of the week after scoring 21 points in the win over LCU and 20 points in the win over New Mexico Highlands ... He also grabbed 10 rebounds in the season opener.
- In two exhibitions this season the Lions went 1-1 with a loss to Texas A&M and win over Texas Tech ... Christian Macauley had a double-double in the A&M game, while Darrell Williams had a double-double in the Tech game ... The Lions only had six double-doubles in 28 games in 2013-14.
- The Lions are coming off a 19-9 season overall and a 7-7 mark in Lone Star Conference games.
- The No. 4 seeded Lions advanced to the LSC semifinals before falling to No. 5 ranked and No. 1 seed Tarleton State, 84-72.
- The Lions advanced out of the tournament quarterfinals with a 74-73 win over No. 5 seed Eastern New Mexico.
- A&M-Commerce ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak including topping then ranked No. 2 Tarleton State 79-76 at home in the Lion Fieldhouse.
- The 2014-15 Lions return only five players off of the 2013-14 team ... The squad has added nine newcomers but only has one true freshman.
- Swingman LaDon Carnegie returns as the team’s leading scorer after averaging 15.2 points per game ... He shot 48.7 percent from the floor including 51.3 percent from long range ... He also pulled in 5.7 rebounds per game -- the second best mark on the squad in 2013-14.
- Post player Christian Macauley is this year’s second leading returning scoring after averaging 9.1 points per game ... The big game led the team in rebounds per game at 7.2 last year.
- 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 227-172 ... He has complied a 94-88 record in LSC games.
A&M-Commerce vs. Ouachita Baptist the Series History
- The Lions are 10-6 all-time in 16 previous meetings between the two programs.
- The Tigers won the last meeting, 82-76, during the 2012-13 season ... The win snapped a three-game winning streaking for the Lions.
- The first meeting came in 1949-50 season ... The two played again in 1974-75 before resuming in 1998-99 four season before another break ... The series resumed in 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and then twice in 2012-13.
About the Tigers
- Ouachita Baptist is 1-0 on the season after a 97-50 defeat of Baptist Bible in its season opener ... The Tigers also lost an exhibition game at Howard Payne, 74-64.
- Six Tigers scored in double figures led by Justin McCleary and his 22 points ... Jerron Smith and Allen Buchanan each scored 17 points, while Colt Fason scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.