Regional No. 1 Tarleton takes six-game win streak to A&M-Commerce

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Long-time rivals and friends Sam Walker and Lonn Reisman visit following Tarleton's 81-63 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville on January 10. The longest-tenured head coaches in the Lone Star Conference oppose one another again Thursday at The Field House in Commerce. || TheFlashToday.com photo by BRAD KEITH

By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (February 15, 2017) — Tarleton State has the opportunity to lock up at least a share of the Lone Star Conference men’s basketball championship when the Texans visit long-time rival Texas A&M-Commerce.

Tipoff Thursday at The Field House in Commerce is 7 p.m. Tarleton (22-3, 13-2) can secure at least a share of the conference title with a win, and can win it outright with a win and a UT-Permian Basin loss at Angelo State.

There’s also the matter of the regional rankings, the first installment of which were released Wednesday with the Texans No. 1 in the South Central Region. The top team in the final regional rankings – released following conference championships on Sunday, March 5 – will host the eight-team regional tournament that begins the NCAA Division II playoffs.

And then there is what A&M-Commerce is fighting for. At No. 7 in the first regional rankings, Lions are a bubble team hoping to get into the regional tournament – unless they win the conference tournament for an automatic bid – and a win over Tarleton would be just what their resume needs.

TAMUC is coming off a 77-59 win over A&M-Kingsville and is in fourth in the current LSC standings, just a half game behind third-place West Texas A&M and 1.5 games behind second-place UTPB. The Lions have been up and down of late, and with three conference games remaining can still finish anywhere from second to seventh when the regular season ends.


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So there is plenty on the line when the Texans, the Lions and the longest tenured head coaches in the LSC – Tarleton’s Lonn Reisman and A&M-Commerce’s Sam Walker – lock horns.

Tarleton is on a six-game win streak including a 78-41 thrashing of A&M-Kingsville and a 76-67 victory over Angelo State last week, and Romond Jenkins earned his fourth LSC Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Jenkins averages 12.8 points and 11.2 rebounds to lead Tarleton, while Ridell Camidge scores a team-high 15.2 points and Chantz Chambers adds 13.4. It’s always about balance with the Texans, whose remaining two starters are Anthony Davis with 9.7 points per game and Deshawn Riddick 9.6.

Riddick also leads the LSC in assists with 106 – 4.2 per game – and Jenkins leads in rebounding with 281 boards. Camidge is fourth among LSC 3-point shooters who make at least 2.5 per game at 36.3 percent. Most of Jenkins’ shots come from the interior – or on slam dunks – and he leads the league in field goal percentage at 64.8.

Davis has been especially bright of late. The redshirt freshman power forward from Lewisville has had to play more minutes since the loss of classmate Josh Hawley, who suffered a foot injury and had surgery earlier this week. Davis scored 16 points and gathered eight boards against A&M-Kingsville last Thursday, and followed it up with 12 points and six rebounds against ASU on Saturday.

A&M-Commerce is led by high-scoring guards Malik Albert and Trey Seymore. Albert is fourth in the LSC at 18.2 points per game, while Seymore is seventh at 14.7. Albert is third in the league in total field goal percentage at 45.1 and Seymore fifth at 41.7. They are the only Lions averaging in double figures, but Montrell Little is close at 9.7.

Tarleton, which has an average score margin of 17 per game, beat A&M-Commerce, 81-63, on January 10 in Stephenville. Ridell Camidge poured in 22, Chambers 14, Davis 11 and Riddick 10 for the Texans while Jenkins grabbed 14 points to go with five boards. Hawley was important in that one with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Lions were paced in that losing effort by Seymore with 19 and Albert with 15. Jovan Austin led the supporting cast with 14 and four assists.

Tarleton has a week off after Thursday’s trip to Commerce. If the LSC title isn’t won outright by next Thursday, February 23, the Texans will have the opportunity to win it themselves as they visit UT-Permian Basin in Odessa. That will be followed by the regular season finale at West Texas A&M on Saturday, February 25.


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Lone Star Conference standings:

South Central Region Rankings:

 

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