Texas A&M Commerce set to step it up vs. UH

Texas A&M Commerce means business.

After nine decades of athletic success, the Lions moved up to Division I and joined the Southland Conference this academic year. In the first of a four-year transition period, the Lions are not eligible to compete in basketball’s postseason. A team must have a qualifying Academic Progress Rate to play in the NCAA Tournament. The APR is based on a four-year average.

“We need to establish a four-year average to compete in championships,” coach Jaret von Rosenberg said.

Von Rosenberg joked he “hounded” University of Hawaii basketball coaches to arrange tonight’s 7 o’clock game at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

“This is an opportunity for us to play an extra game with us not being able to play in the postseason,” von Rosenberg said. “That’s why we decided to add this game.”

Monday’s 101-46 rout of Arlington Baptist was the 3-4 Lions’ first game at their 3,055-seat Field House this season. They are 1-3 on the road and 1-1 at the Capitol Classic in Atlanta.

“Just add it to the list, I guess,” Rosenberg said of yet another away game tonight.

The Lions brought a 35-person travel party, which includes administrators and donors, as well as an eclectic offense and aggressive half-court defense.

Demarcus Demonia, a 6-foot-7 wing, averages 16.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. “He’s been in the system for three years,” von Rosenberg said of Demonia, who was a junior college All-American at Allegany College. “He’s gotten off to a hot start. He’s versatile on both sides of the ball. He’s doing a lot of good stuff for us.”

The Lions use four point guards — often two in the same lineup — with Alonzo Dodd and C.J. Roberts as the primary playmakers. “We don’t come down and have one guy initiate the offense,” von Rosenberg said.

Against Arlington Baptist, the Lions set a school record with 31 assists. “Our main goal is we want to shoot assisted shots,” von Rosenberg said. “We want the highest-percentage shots in basketball. We’ll shoot near the rim — dunk it, lay it up.”

The Lions are expected to employ a combative halfcourt scheme to counter the Rainbow Warriors’ quick-moving offense. UH’s JoVon McClanahan, Noel Coleman and Samuta Avea attack with long-distance shots, fearless drives and off-the-ball cuts. Von Rosenberg said past strategies were to abbreviate opponents from running their full offensive sets.

“They really seem like they control the tempo,” von Rosenberg said of the ’Bows. “They don’t turn it over. They really guard you. They keep in front, making it hard to run the offense. We’ve got to get quality shots on the offensive end.”

The ’Bows, fresh off back-to-back weekends on the North Shore, have shot better than 50% in three consecutive games. Avea, who has converted all 16 of his free throws this year, made 15 in a row to end the 2019-20 season. Avea opted out of the 2020-21 season because of the pandemic, and missed last season because of a back injury.