Leading by three points at the half, No. 25 Angelo State stifled No. 25 A&M-Commerce defensively and showed off the NCAA's most efficient offense in the second half as the Rams ended the Lions six-game winning streak with a 79-63 Wednesday night in Lone Star Conference action in the Junnell Center.
"The Rams were more efficient than us and did not turn the ball over like we did tonight. They got the ball to the people they wanted to get it to at the spot they wanted." A&M-Commerce head coach Sam Walker said. "Let's give them a lot of credit, they disrupted our timing with really good defense. To beat the really good teams we need to be more efficient than we were tonight."
After back and forth play through the early going, ASU mounted an 8-0 run to extend a 14-13 lead out to 22-13 with 7:47 in the first half. The Lions went 4:51 without a basket until Macauley knocked down a jumper to end a stretch.
The Lions cut the lead down to 27-23 with back-to-back LaDon Carnegie threes with 4:22 left in the first. ASU held the narrow led until the waning minutes of the half when Carnegie leaned in and knocked down a jumper in the lane for his 16th points of the first half holding the Rams lead at three-points, 35-32, to end the frame.
Four minutes to play into the second half, Eddie Leal knocked down a triple from the wing to cut the ASU margin down to two points, 43-41, but the Rams strung together a 15-4 run over the next four minutes to take a 58-45 lead at the 12-minute mark. Leal converted a corner three for the Lions to end the run and keep the deficit at 10 points, 58-48.
But, ASU pulled away taking the lead out to 17 points, 71-54, on a wide-open wing three from Raijon Kelly and a back door cut and layup by Chris Jones at the seven-minute mark. Two minutes later, the Rams took the lead out 20 points, 74-54, and ASU kept the Lions at bay over the final five minutes en route the 79-63 win.
After leading by a rebound at the half, the Lions were outrebounded 41-34. ASU ran its efficient offense and turned the ball over only seven times leading to five points for A&M-Commerce, while the Lions were forced into 12 turnovers leading to 15 Ram points.
The Rams outshot the Lions 48 percent to 40 percent from the floor, while neither team was efficient from long range with ASU going 26 percent compared to 27 percent for the Lions. A&M-Commerce converted only 52 percent of its free throw attempts going 14-of-27, while ASU converted at a 70 percent rate making 14 of their 20 attempts.
Carnegie carried the Lions in the first half with 16 points, but was limited in the second half finishing the game with 18 points to lead all scorers. Macauley followed with his sixth double-digit game of the season with 11 points. Darrell Williams saw his 20-point, double-double streak come to close with after ending with nine points and seven rebounds.
ASU had four plays tally double figures with Demario Mayfield leading the way with 16 points. Mayfield converted only four of his 10 shots from the floor but was 8-of-11 from the free throw line; he also pulled double 10 rebounds for a double-double. Marsell Holden and Omari Dudul chipped in 14 points and 12 points respectively, while Chris Jones was the final Ram in double figures with 10 points.
The loss ends the Lions (15-4, 4-2) six game winning streak, while the Rams (18-1, 6-0) continue their 13-game streak and stay unbeaten in LSC.
The Lions return home Saturday, January 31 with No. 12 Tarleton State with tipoff set for 6 p.m. in the historic Field House. A&M-Commerce will play back-to-back ranked teams for the second time this season after facing then ranked No. 11 Cal Baptist on November 28 and then ranked No. 17 Dixie State on November 29.
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Angelo State Game 19 Notes
- With the loss, the Lions slip to 15-4 overall and 4-2 in the LSC ... The Lions suffered their first loss to a ranked a opponent this season after topping then ranked No. 11 Cal Baptist on November 28 and then ranked No. 17 Dixie State on November 29.
- The Lions slip to 44-42 all-time and even .500 in LSC games at 39-39 against the Rams.
- A&M-Commerce has now lost back-to-back games after being ranked ... The Lions were last ranked on December 3, 2013 and followed with a 75-73 loss to Northwood later that day.
- The loss also snaps the Lions six-game winning streak ... The Rams continue on their 13-game streak.
- LaDon Carnegie finished with 18 points to lead all scorers in the game ... Carnegie led the Lions in scoring for the seventh time and the first time in the 2015 calendar year ... Carnegie scored 16 points in the first half.
- Christian Macauley finished with 11 points ... Macauley reaches double-digits for the sixth time this season ... For the third time he has accomplished back-to-back double-digit scoring games.