Statistics Summary for 1954-55

SCORING TOTAL 3-PTS F-THROWS REBOUNDS MINUTES
Player GP GS Pts Avg FG FGA Pct 3FG FGA Pct FT FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Tot Avg
Clarence Lynch   34  0  580  17.1  176  414  .425  0  0  .000  228  293  .778  160  0  160  4.7  94  6  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Jim Miller   34  0  524  15.4  200  483  .414  0  0  .000  124  163  .761  465  0  465  13.7  70  2  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Shelby Metcalf   34  0  340  10.0  104  267  .390  0  0  .000  132  200  .660  150  0  150  4.4  77  2  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Bob Williams   34  0  316  9.3  103  262  .393  0  0  .000  110  186  .591  287  0  287  8.4  99  5  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Jerrel Logan   34  0  239  7.0  78  182  .429  0  0  .000  83  106  .783  109  0  109  3.2  87  3  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Bill Notley   34  0  141  4.1  59  125  .472  0  0  .000  23  42  .548  93  0  93  2.7  69  3  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Bryan Miller   31  0  96  3.1  30  74  .405  36  65  .554  0  0  .000  91  0  91  2.9  47  2  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Raymond Hall   12  0  89  7.4  31  90  .344  0  0  .000  27  45  .600  27  0  27  2.3  26  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Jack Stephenson   27  0  43  1.6  13  52  .250  0  0  .000  17  26  .654  23  0  23  0.9  38  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Wayne Mulkey   29  0  34  1.2  16  42  .381  0  0  .000  2  14  .143  47  0  47  1.6  25  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Glynn Stevens   22  0  31  1.4  9  30  .300  0  0  .000  13  32  .406  27  0  27  1.2  22  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Bob Champion   11  0  15  1.4  4  12  .333  0  0  .000  7  9  .778  3  0  3  0.3  3  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
John Coker   1  0  2  2.0  1  2  .500  0  0  .000  0  0  .000  0  0  0  0.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Dale Lowder   1  0  2  2.0  1  1  1.000  0  0  .000  0  0  .000  0  0  0  0.0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Joe Jones   2  0  0  0.0  0  0  .000  0  0  .000  0  0  .000  1  0  1  0.5  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.0 
Team totals   34  0  2447  72.0  824  2044  .403  0  0  .000  799  1185  .674  1548  0  1548  45.5  661  24  0  0  0  0  0   
Opp totals   0  0  0  0.0  0  0  .000  0  0  .000  0  0  .000  0  0  0  0.0  0  -  0  0  0  0  0   

Results for 1954-55

  Date Opponent   Score   Attend   Site Notes
12/01/1954 LOUISIANA TECH W 71-59 - Commerce, TX
12/04/1954 at Howard Payne W 80-66 - Brownwood, TX
12/07/1954 CENTRAL STATE W 84-43 - Commerce, TX
12/09/1954 at Louisiana Tech W 68-63 - Ruston, LA
12/11/1954 at Mississippi Southern W 60-50 - Hattiesburg, MS
# 12/16/1954 vs Gustavus Adolphus L 51-59 - Kansas City, MO
# 12/17/1954 vs Western Ill. L 75-85 - Kansas City, MO
12/30/1954 vs Texas Wesleyan W 82-53 - Dallas, TX
12/31/1954 vs Midwestern W 56-53 - Dallas, TX
01/04/1955 vs Centenary W 65-54 - Gladewater, TX
* 01/06/1955 at Lamar Tech L 67-73 - Beaumont, TX
01/10/1955 HOWARD PAYNE W 90-64 - Commerce, TX
* 01/13/1955 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN W 64-52 - Commerce, TX
01/15/1955 at Southwest Missouri St. W 60-57 - Springfield, MO
01/17/1955 at Central Mo. St. W 63-56 - Warrensburg, MO
01/22/1955 MISSISSIPPI SOUTHERN W 79-56 - Commerce, TX
01/28/1955 WAYLAND BAPTIST W 74-61 - Commerce, TX
* 01/31/1955 at Southwest Texas St. L 74-80 - San Marcos, TX
* 02/04/1955 at Sam Houston St. W 76-68 - Huntsville, TX
* 02/07/1955 TEXAS A&I W 67-49 - Commerce, TX
* 02/08/1955 TEXAS A&I W 73-51 - Commerce, TX
* 02/10/1955 SOUTHWEST TEXAS ST. W 86-71 - Commerce, TX
* 02/14/1955 SAM HOUSTON ST. W 66-50 - Commerce, TX
* 02/17/1955 at Stephen F. Austin L 59-69 - Nacogdoches, TX
* 02/21/1955 at Sul Ross St. W 58-53 - Alpine, TX
* 02/22/1955 at Sul Ross St. W 77-67 - Alpine, TX
* 02/26/1955 LAMAR W 77-52 - Commerce, TX
p 02/28/1955 vs Southwest Texas St. W 86-83 - Waco, TX NAIA District Tiebreaker
^p 03/02/1955 vs Texas Wesleyan W 78-52 - Dallas, TX
#p 03/08/1955 vs Portland St. W 68-55 - Kansas City, MO
#p 03/09/1955 vs Southwestern (Kan.) W 94-78 - Kansas City, MO
#p 03/10/1955 vs Beloit (Wis.) W 66-57 - Kansas City, MO
#p 03/11/1955 vs Arkansas Tech W 81-66 - Kansas City, MO
#p 03/12/1955 vs Southeastern State W 71-54 - Kansas City, MO
 
NAIA National Champions
29 Win Season, most wins in school history
first in the Lone Star Conference
Head Coach: Bob Rodgers ( 3rd Season)
Overall Record: (77-15, 28-4 LSC)

NAIA First Team All-American
Jim Miller

NAIA Second Team All-American
Clarence Lynch
Shelby Metcalf

First Team All-LSC
Clarence Lynch
Jim Miller

Coach Rogers (and arguably A&M-Commerce's) most successful season came in 1954. The Lions set school records for most wins in a season (29), most individual rebounds in a season (465), most team rebounds in a season (1,548), and won A&M-Commerce's only Men's Basketball National Championship.

The season started out well, a five-game winning streak over Louisiana Tech (twice), Howard Payne, Central Oklahoma, and Southern Mississippi. Gustavus Adolphus (Minnesota) and Western Illinois managed to hand the Lions their first two losses, but the wins kept piling on after that. Through their final 21 games of the regular season, A&M-Commerce lost just three games. The Lions completed the 1954 regular season with a 23-3 record (9-3 LSC), good enough for the university's tenth LSC Basketball Championsh
ip.

The 1954-55 postseason run was absolutely incredible. In the NAIA District Four championship game the Lions took on former LSC opponent Texas Wesleyan, and wiped the floor with them 78-52, advancing to the NAIA National Tournament. Portland State met A&M-Commerce in the first round of the tourney, and was quickly dispatched by the Lions 68-55. Up next was Southwestern College, whom the Lions devoured 94-78. Beloit matched up with the Lions in the third round, and again A&M-Commerce emerged unscathed in a
66-57 victory. In the semifinals the Lions face Arkansas Tech, and quickly sent the Wonder Boys home with an 81-66 beat down. In the championship game A&M-Commerce took on Southeastern Oklahoma, and the contest was over before it began. The Lions won 71-54.

This was certainly a season for the record books. Jim Miller set the school record for most rebounds in a season with 465, and also led the Lions in made field goals with 200. Clarence Lynch led in scoring with 580 total points, in made free throws with 228, and in points per game with 17.05. Shelby Metcalf filled up the stats a third time, finishing second or third in each category.

Miller, Lynch, and Metcalf earned A&M-Commerce's second, third, and fourth All-American awards in 1954. Miller was named to the NAIA First Team, and Lynch and Metcalf each earned spots on the NAIA Second Team. Miller and Lynch also earned recognition from the LSC, earning spots on the First Team All-LSC.

Overall: 29-5
Conference: 9-3
Home: 11-0
Away: 8-3
Neutral: 10-2