COMMERCE – Tarleton dropped its regular season finale on the road to Texas A&M-Commerce, 78-71.
 
The TexAnns had their seven-game win streak snapped to finish the regular season at 16-10 overall and 10-6 in Lone Star Conference and clinched the fourth seed for the LSC tournament, where they'll take on TAMUC once again on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Allen Event Center.
 
Tarleton got behind by double digits in the first quarter when the Lions led 15-4. The TexAnns went on a 9-0 run capped off by Meagan O'Dell's 98^th career 3-pointer. Trailing 19-13 after the first, TAMUC drained four 3-pointers in the second quarter and took a 38-26 lead at the break. Tarleton shot 31 percent in the first half compared to the Lions' 53 percent.
 
Bailey Wipff opened the second half with five straight points, including her 100th career 3-pointer. Raven McGrath joined Wipff in the 100 3's club when McGrath hit hers at the top of the arc in the closing seconds of the game. The two TexAnn guards are the 10^th and 11^th players in Tarleton history to reach the century mark in their careers. Wipff finished with seven points and McGrath had three.
 
Morgan Ashmore connected on a 3-pointer of her own to make it a 41-37 game with 7:19 left in the third quarter. Ashmore finished with eight points and a career high five steals.
 
Tarleton continued to chip away at the Lions' lead when Nia Jackson banked in a 3-pointer for a 48-46 deficit with 2:54 left in the third quarter. The TexAnns outscored TAMUC 22-20 in the third as they went into the final ten minutes down 58-48.
 
Ikpeaku Iwobi put the TexAnns on her back in the final quarter to try and get her team back in the game. Iwobi scored 14 of her career-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and got Tarleton within six on back-to-back layups. Iwobi also added 10 rebounds for her 18th career double-double and first since January 2 against Cameron.
 
The TexAnns improved their shooting in the second half by 12 percent but still managed only 37 percent for the game. TAMUC shot 59 percent in the second half and 55 percent in the game.
 
Breanna Fuller was close to her first career double-double, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Tarleton had 21 points off the bench with Tiara Tatum's seven points leading the way.  Catherine Okwilagwe (4), Nia Jackson (3), Meagan O'Dell (3), Travanti Downes (2), and Averie Mack (2) rounded out the bench scoring.
 
Tarleton will head to next week's Lone Star Conference Tournament for the 14^th time in school history and 13^th consecutive season dating back to 2004.