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SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State men's basketball team ventures outside of Lone Star Conference play for the final time this season with a pair of home games this week. The Rams open the week with a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday against Texas-Permian Basin and will then host Northwood University at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Stephens Arena in the Junell Center.

The Rams (3-9, 1-5 LSC) have lost their last five games of the season, but are 3-2 at home and will look to snap that streak in a rematch from a Dec. 19 game against the Falcons (2-7, 0-3 Heartland). The Falcons won the first meeting between the two teams in a 79-67 game at the Falcon Dome in Odessa. Antonio Dye and Jovan Austin each scored 19 points for the Rams in the contest, but ASU couldn't overcome a 41-25 rebounding disadvantage. The Rams are 7-5 all-time against the Falcons.

“We have to rebound the ball,” ASU head coach Fred Rike said. “We have to be more physical. We have to find a way to keep the ball out of the paint and also contest shooters.”

Dye leads the Rams this season with 13.5 points per game and is tied with Chris Talkington with five rebounds per game. Jovan Austin, who was limited in action against Midwestern State due to foul trouble, is scoring 12.3 points per game and leads the Rams with 39 assists and 19 steals this season. Talkington is adding 10.8 points and Dakota Rawls is at 10.6 points per game.

The Rams have struggled throughout the season rebounding the basketball with opponents leading the stat category 462-386 through the first 12 games of the season. ASU has created 53 more turnovers than it has committed and is shooting 68 percent from the free-throw line as a team. Talkington and Rawls both lead the Rams by shooting 85 percent from the line and Austin is at 75 percent.

UTPB will be playing on back-to-back nights after hosting Arlington Baptist on Monday before traveling to San Angelo on Tuesday. The Falcons are scoring 67.2 points per game this season and are shooting 43 percent from the field. UTPB is 0-3 on the road this season 1-4 against Lone Star Conference opponents with losses to Incarnate Word, Tarleton State and a pair of losses to Texas A&M-Commerce. They have dropped their last two games of the season against St. Mary's and Texas A&M International.

Rob Heyer leads the Falcons with 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Madison Turner (10.7), Anthony Dees (10) and Colton Thompson (10.1) round out four UTPB scorers in double figures this season. Turner leads the team with 14 3-pointers and Heyer is shooting a blistering 93 percent (28 of 30) from the free-throw line.

The Rams will return to action at 4 p.m. on Saturday with their final non-conference game of the season coming against Northwood University at the Junell Center.