Four players tallied double digits for St. Mary’s (TX) as the Lady Rattlers handed the Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions their first loss of the season with a 78-72 victory on Friday night at the St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Classic (Bill Greehey Arena) in San Antonio.
The Lions fall to 3-1 for the season, while the Lady Rattlers jump to 5-1.
A&M-Commerce fought back early in the second from a 10-point halftime deficit to take a six point lead on a layup from Nola Taylor at the 9:45 mark. St. Mary’s Farren Fox responded with a jumper and started an 8-2 run that helped the Lady Rattlers tie the game at 62.
Britney Jordan’s jumper with 6:19 remaining gave the Lions a 66-64 advantage, but Chastity Noble’s free throw and Ashton Benford’s layup gave St. Mary’s the lead as the Lady Rattlers wouldn’t trail again the rest of the way.
Jordan fired in 32 points and Nakazi Glover scored 20 to pace the Lions. Jordan has now scored 30 or more points in three of four games this season.
Benford sparked St. Mary’s with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Rachel Jones followed with 20 points and 11 boards. Natalie Gamez chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds, and Noble added 11 points.
A&M-Commerce returns to the Bill Greehey Arena on Saturday for its second game of the St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Classic with a 4 p.m. rematch against Incarnate Word, who the Lions beat 89-88 in overtime on Nov. 22.
