TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler started strong in its first Lone Star Conference divisional matchup, but Texas A&M-Commerce pulled away after halftime to extend its season-opening unbeaten streak to 9 games with Saturday's 71-38 victory over the Patriots.

The Lions had three players score in double figures, led by a game-high 19 points from Mykiel Burleson, while Ruth Nwokora led the way for UT Tyler with team-highs of 9 points and 7 rebounds.

With the loss, UT Tyler dropped to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in Lone Star Conference play. The Patriots are now 0-1 within the six-team division, which includes A&M-Commerce, Cameron, UAFS, Midwestern State, and Oklahoma Christian. A&M-Commerce improved to 9-0 overall, 3-0 in the LSC, and 1-0 within the division.

Turning Point: Texas A&M-Commerce opened the second half with a 10-0 run, extending a 28-22 halftime lead into double digits. The Lions outscored UT Tyler by a 20-4 margin in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 48-26, a 22-point margin, heading into the fourth quarter. A&M-Commerce led by more than 20 points the rest of the way. Alexis Bryant scored half of the Lions' points in the third quarter, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the frame.

How It Happened: Ruth Nwokora scored UT Tyler's first five points, and Kylea Johnson knocked down her first three-pointer of the game to give the Patriots an early 8-5 edge. A&M-Commerce responded with a 12-2 run, taking the lead at 17-10 late in the first quarter. The Lions extended a 17-12 lead after one quarter to double digits, using a 9-0 run midway through the quarter to pull ahead, 28-16, with 3:06 to play in the second quarter. Nwokora ended the run with another layup inside the paint, and Aubree Adams hit a pair of midrange jumpers late in the half to trim the halftime deficit to 28-22.

After A&M-Commerce opened the second half with 10 consecutive points, taking a 38-22 lead with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter, Lilli Stewart answered with a three-pointer that cut the gap to 38-25. That was the closest the Patriots got the rest of the way, as the Lions scored 10 of the final 11 points in the third quarter before scoring 13 of the first 18 in the fourth quarter for its first 30-point lead of the contest.

UT Tyler Standouts: Ruth Nwokora finished with team-highs of 9 points and 7 rebounds, and Kylea Johnson and Aubree Adams added 6 points each. Kelsey Crouse contributed 5 points with 3 assists, and Beezy Birchette added a team-high 4 assists. Lauren Riles came off the bench to produce 6 rebounds with a pair of blocks.

Texas A&M-Commerce Standouts: Mykiel Burleson led all scorers with 19 points, hitting 7-of-13 overall and 5-of-9 from three-point range, while Chania Wright added 16 points. Alexis Bryant scored 12 points with 7 rebounds, and Agang Tac tallied a game-high 9 boards. Maddison Glass dished out a game-high 7 assists, and three Lions each collected 3 steals as A&M-Commerce forced 29 UT Tyler turnovers and registered 15 steals as a team.

By The Numbers: A&M-Commerce shot below 40 percent in each of the first three quarters before hitting 8-of-15 (53 percent) in the fourth quarter… The Patriots had 10 turnovers and only 4 field goal attempts in the third quarter as A&M-Commerce pulled away in that period… The Lions produced a 43-32 rebounding edge, leading to a 14-4 margin in second chance points and a 36-10 margin in scoring in the paint… A&M-Commerce posted a 32-12 advantage in points off turnovers.

What's Next: UT Tyler closes out the calendar year with a pair of conference road games next week, visiting Tarleton State on Thursday, Dec. 19, and Texas Woman's University on Saturday, Dec. 21. The Patriots return home after New Year's, hosting divisional games on Jan. 2 against Midwestern State and Jan. 4 against Cameron.