COMMERCE, Texas –
Akasha Davis erupted for 16 points in the second half as Lamar University (17-7, 12-3 SLC) took down East Texas A&M (6-18, 3-12 SLC) 71-57 at the Commerce Fieldhouse Saturday. The Wylie native also made history by becoming the second LU player to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds joining Cardinals Hall of Honor member Carolyn Ford (1978-82).
Needing five rebounds to achieve the milestone, Davis left her mark with 13 boards and 18 points for her fifth double-double of the season.
Sabria Dean added 14 points and dished out five assists, while
NJ Weems poured in 13 points.
T'Aaliyah Miner came off the bench to score seven points and grabbed six rebounds.
Big Red shot 43.3 percent from the field, which included four makes from three-point range. Scoring 46 points in the paint, the Cardinals also crashed the boards with 44 rebounds and netted 21 points off turnovers.
Ignited by seven points from Weems, Big Red opened the game on a 12-1 run. The Lions called an early timeout to regroup and rally back within 14-11. Dean tallied four of the Cardinals' next seven points as they led 21-13 after the first quarter, which saw them convert 38.8 percent from the field.
It was at the 8:57 mark early in the second quarter when Davis secured her 1,000
th career rebound. The Lions started the quarter on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 23. With four minutes to go in the half, Dean set in motion a 10-3 surge as she knocked down a jumper, stole the ball, and rebounded her own missed shot for another bucket. By halftime, LU led 33-26 as Dean (10) and Weems (11) combined for 21 points between them.
LU caught fire in the third quarter, hitting 12-of-20 from the field to notch 27 points. Up 35-29, the Cardinals carried out a 13-7 run to stretch the lead to 48-36. After a quiet first half, Davis silenced the Lions with 10 points in the quarter that helped LU finish with a 12-4 run for a 60-40 cushion heading into the fourth.
Despite being outscored 17-11 in the final 10 minutes, the Cardinals built their lead to as much as 21 on two different occasions. Davis added six points without missing a field goal while
Kamryn Wilson knocked down her second three-pointer of the game. LU would not allow the Lions anywhere closer than the final score of 71-57.
The second half of LU's four-game stretch continues Thursday as it will travel to San Antonio to face UIW at the McDermott Center. The game will start at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
