East DFW News

UIW downs Lion Men's Basketball, 79-75

 C.J. Roberts scored 24 points off the bench on Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough for the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team in a 79-75 loss to the UIW Cardinals at the McDermott Center.
 
The Lions snapped their two-game winning streak to fall to 10-7 in Southland play. UIW is 6-11, currently holding on to the final spot of the conference tournament. The Lions cannot finish worse than fifth in their first Division I season and are a game back of Nicholls for fourth place.
 
On the final day of the season, the Lions need a win and a Colonels loss for a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
 
The Cardinals ended the first half leading by 13 points, as they did not trail in the game and there was only one tie outside the opening-tip, and it came at 5-5. The Lions cut it to 9-8 and 16-15, which was the smallest lead for the Cardinals.
 
UIW led by as much as 18 points in the second half, but it dropped down to three in the final minute with a three pointer by Kalen Williams (Augusta, Ga.), with 19 seconds to go. UIW made both free throws on the other end, the Lions had a turnover and then the Cardinals added two more free throws to go up by seven. Roberts (Irving – Richland) knocked down a three pointer with a second left in the game.
 
Off the bench, Roberts shot 8 for 12 from the field and shot 7 for 7 at the line for 24 points as well as three rebounds. Jerome Brewer, Jr. (Camden, N.J.) added 14, Kalen Williams (Augusta, Ga.) scored 12, and Demarcus Demonia (Fort Washington, Md.) added 10 points, who led the team with two assists. Alonzo Dodd (St. Paul, Minn.) led the team with six rebounds.
 
Jonathan Cisse scored 26 points in 39 minutes for the Cardinals, who shot 50 percent in the game, while the Lions shot 54 percent. UIW scored 23 points off turnovers in the game. 

Original source can be found here