COMMERCE, Texas – Junior Sheana Jones became the first Javelina player to score 30-or-more points since the 2007-08 season, but it wasn’t enough as the Texas A&M-Kingsville watched a 5-point lead evaporate in the final three minutes loss in a 77-74 loss Saturday.
In a game that saw 10 ties and eight lead changes, it was an 8-0 run by A&M-Commerce in the final 2:27 that proved to be the difference as Kingsville fell to 5-17 on the season and 3-13 in the Lone Star Conference.
Down 65-58 after Commerce’s Breanna Harris convereted a 3-point play with 7:57 left, the Javelinas responded with a 16-4 run. Kaitlyn Lowen started the run with four straight points. After Ashley Viera went 3-of-4 from the line to make it a 2-point game,67-65, Jones tied the game with free throws of her own and broke the tie with her fifth 3-point basket of the game.
With 2:54 remaining, Madara Gulbe drained a 3-point basket for a 74-69 lead. It was the last time Kingsville scored. The Javelinas would go 0-for-3 from the floor and turn the ball over twice from that point on.
After La’Tisha Hearne scored three times in four attempts at the charity stripe, the Lions regained the lead, 75-74, on an old fashioned 3-point play by Danielle Dixon.
The Javelinas had three opportunities to regain the led but couldn’t capitalize. Breanna Gonzalez missed a pair of 3-point baskets with the last coming after a steal. Lowen came up with a steal with 13 seconds. After a timeout, Lowen drove to the hoop but could not get the layup to fall with five seconds left.
Jones’ is 31-point outburst was the first 30-point game since 2007 when LaKeisha Jones had 30 against A&M-International on Dec. 29. It was the most since Felicia Soza had 29 against the Dustdevils on Dec. 30 in 2009.
Jones finished 8-of-11 from the floor and was 5-of-7 from behind the arc. Viera, who had a team-best four steals, added 13 points including going 8-of-10 from the foul line. The Javelinas had 14 steals as a team and forced 25 turnovers.
Four Lions had double figures. Harris had 19 points and 14 points for a double-double and Hearne added 19. Dixon finished with 17, while Symone Brown tallied.
The Javelina head west this week as they travel to Eastern New Mexico Thursday and West Texas A&M on Saturday.