A&M-C’s Murphy helps top Zias with last second buzzer beater 68-67

PORTALES, N.M. — Texas A&M; University-Commerce senior Ashley Murphy hit a jumper with less than a second left to lead the visiting Lions to a 68-67 Lone Star Conference basketball win over host Eastern New Mexico on Saturday evening.

The host Zias had took their only lead of the game with nine seconds to go on a Cat Clay jumper. Following an A&M-Commerce; timeout, first year head coach Nicole Anderson went to Murphy for the game-winning basket.

A&M-Commerce; (3-4) led for most of the contest and landed four players in double digits as junior Genevieve Campbell hit six 3-pointers for a team-high 18 points. Nakazi Glover and Mattilyn McIntyre each scored 13 and Murphy added 12.

Clay tallied a double-double for Eastern New Mexico (4-7) with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. Teammates Til-Lois Fifer and Tori Northcutt each had 12.

The two teams were tied three times in the opening 3:43 in the game but an Anisha Ingram jumper gave A&M-Commerce; a lead it would hold for most of the contest. The Lions built the advantage to 11 in each half.

After the Lions got up 56-45 lead after a Glover 3-pointer, Eastern New Mexico went on a 13-5 spurt to cut the deficit to 61-58 on a layup by Fifer with 3:37 remaining in the game. The Lions built up the advantage to six on a Campbell 3-pointer but the Zias scored seven of the next nine points to take a one-point lead on the Clay jumper.

The Lions withstood the come-from-behind effort for the win as they held Eastern New Mexico to just 33.8 percent shooting from the field. A&M-Commerce; hit 11 3-pointers and made 39.7 percent of their field goals.



Fall to West Texas A&M;

CANYON — No. 15 nationally-ranked West Texas A&M; hit 54.8 percent of its shots from the field and forced 24 turnovers in a 92-67 Lone Star Conference basketball win over Texas A&M; University-Commerce’s women on Monday afternoon at the First United Bank Center in Canyon, Texas.

West Texas A&M; (10-1) built a 20-6 margin to start the game, making eight of its first 12 shot. Holly Isaacs made two 3-pointers and Joni Unruh added another to spark the Lady Buffs in the early run.

Joining Isaacs in double figures were Megan McLain, who scored a team-high 15 points, Unruh with 14, Jamie Simmons with 13 points, Isaacs with 12 and Ceciley Johnson came off the bench to score 11.

A&M-Commerce; (3-5) got balanced scoring as four members scored in double digits. Junior Genevieve Campbell led the Lions with 17 points, including 15 in the second half.

Junior Mattilyn McIntyre had 16 points and six rebounds and Nakazi Glover and Ashley Murphy each had 12 points. Both Glover and McIntyre have been in double digits in seven of the Lions’ eight games.

After falling behind double digits at the 14:12 mark in the first half, the Lions were unable to get any closer for the remainder of the contest.

A&M-Commerce; shot 49 percent from the field, came away with 11 steals and forced the Buffs to commit 17 turnovers.

The Lions will play their final two non-conference games when they travel to San Antonio to take on Incarnate Word on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s University and the host Rattlers on Dec. 30 at 4 p.m.

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