Lions' reserves sink Zias

COMMERCE, Texas — Senior guard Kanani Marshal and junior forward Katedria Mosley combined for 36 points and 17 rebounds off the bench Saturday and Texas A&M-Commerce went on a 24-6 run over eight minutes near the end of the half to pull away to a 79-59 victory over Eastern New Mexico University in a Lone Star Conference women’s crossover game.

Marshal scored 21 points and Mosley 15 for the Lions (6-6), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Commerce also got 16 points from junior guard Britney Jordan — 13 in the first half — and 10 from senior guard Dawn Montgomery.

Senior guard Heather Brown scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half for the Zias (6-2), while freshman guard Ashley Davis added 12 points off the bench.

ENMU led for about a six-minute stretch midway through the first half, opening a 14-10 lead on a 3-pointer by Lindsey Wood with just over six minutes gone.

Marshal’s 3-pointer put the Lions in front 22-20 and, after a basket by the Zias’ Riikka Lehtonen, Jordan’s trifecta gave the Lions the lead for good with 6:47 left in the half.

Commerce’s long run opened a 16-point margin shortly before halftime. The Zias got within 42-33 on a 3-pointer by Megan Kabrick early in the second half, but treys by Marshal and Jordan keyed an 11-0 Lions run that all but put the game out of reach.

Commerce maintained a lead of at least 20 points over the final 11 1/2 minutes, the largest margin at 72-45 with under six minutes left.

The Zias shot 52 percent in the first half, but were just 8-for-25 in the second stanza. They struggled with a season-high 26 turnovers to just nine assists, and were outrebounded by the Lions 46-37.

Mosley finished with a double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds, while Marshall added six rebounds and a team-leading seven assists in 32 minutes.

Senior forward Elizabeth Richards had team highs of 11 rebounds and four assists for the Zias.