CEDAR CITY, Utah– Coming off a triple overtime battle over the weekend, the Southern Utah University women's basketball team will now host Texas A&M Commerce in a mid-day contest on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Game Info
Southern Utah vs Texas A&M Commerce
Location: Cedar City, Utah
Date: Thursday, December 1
Tipoff: Noon MT
Live Stats Watch
ABOUT THE THUNDERBIRDS (2-4)
Southern Utah has been outstanding on the boards this season, averaging 48.17 rebounds per game, putting them fifth in the entire nation behind No.2 ranked Stanford Cardinal. The Thunderbirds have also been efficient shooting this season with a .411 field goal percentage while limiting their opponents to .399.
Lizzy Williamson has exploded for the Thunderbirds this season. The Australian averages a double-double with 14.0 points, and 11.2 rebounds and has been a dominant rim protector with 2.5 blocks this season.
SUU also has three more players that average double digits. Daylani Ballena has caught fire this season, scoring 12.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. After scoring a season-high 21 points on Saturday, Cherita Daugherty averages 11.8 points and four assists. Returning from injury Tomekia Whitman still averages 10.8 points per contest.
Megan Jensen sits second for the Thunderbirds in field goal percentage (.513) and has scored 12 points in her last two appearances.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M COMMERCE (1-4 )
The Lions of Texas A&M Commerce are entering their first year in Division 1 play in the Southland conference after dominating the Lone Star Conference for the past few years.
After beginning their season with a 96-51 win over UNT-Dallas, the Lions have dropped their last four matchups against division one opponent's UT Arlington, Houston, SMU, and a tough 78-71 loss to the New Mexico Lobos.
The Lions have been led by 2021-22 First-Team Division 2 All-American Dyani Robinson, who averages 17.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Robinson had a season-high performance scoring 26 points against another WAC opponent UT-Arlington. They also have two other players averaging double digits Symmone James (12.5) and Laila Lawrence (11.8).
Commerce has made four straight NCAA division two tournament appearances and have put together five 20-win seasons under head coach Jason Burton.
Last Time Out
The Thunderbirds duked it out with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the America First Event Center Saturday, falling in triple overtime 102-96.
Southern Utah outshot UCSB from the field 45.9 percent to 40 percent while pummeling them from three-point range, shooting 42.9 percent to 26.1.
Several T-Birds exploded for double digits in the loss. Cherita Daugherty asserted herself around the rim finishing, with 21 points and four assists. Daylani Ballena came up clutch several times, recording 20 points and seven assists.
Lizzy Williamson earned her fifth double-double on the season with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and game-high three blocks. She now ranks 29th in the nation in double-doubles.
Samantha Johnston and Megan Jensen shot extremely well from the perimeter. Johnston hit four of her six shots from behind the arc, finishing with 15 points, and Jensen added 12 points of her own while going perfect from three-point land.
After a melee between both teams during regulation which saw six different lead changes the game carried into overtime.
In the first overtime, neither side would give the other an inch as Ballena dished out a dime to Whitman on a back-door layup before dropping a mid-range jumper of her own, willing the Thunderbirds to a 75-71 lead with under a minute left. The Gauchos would keep finding answers, sinking two free throws to knot the game back at 75 and push the game into another extra period.
Santa Barbara would take the advantage in double OT, jumping out to an 83-79 lead at 1:44. But the Thunderbirds would force a third overtime after Daugherty miraculously found Johnston in the corner to tie the game 85-85 with nine seconds left.
In triple overtime, Southern Utah held the game close, but it wasn't enough in the end, as UCSB walked away with the 102-96 victory.
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