Click Links for Media Coverage
Audio
Video
Live Stats
Twitter


SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State men's basketball team returns to action at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday against Incarnate Word in a Lone Star Conference game which is also the Rams' season finale at Stephens Arena in the Junell Center.

The Rams (6-19, 3-13 LSC) are playing their final game of the season, while the Cardinals (13-12, 9-8 LSC) will continue into postseason next week at the LSC Championships in Allen. UIW, which is coming in with a two game losing streak following losses to Eastern New Mexico and Abilene Christian, is currently fourth in the conference standings and will go into the tournament as the fourth seed regardless of outcomes on Saturday.

Saturday's game is Senior Night for Angelo State's Antonio Dye. The guard from Elkhart, Ind. transferred to ASU this year with one year of collegiate eligibility remaining and has made the most of his experience. He is averaging 10.5 points per game and has added 40 assists and 21 steals. A 6-2 guard, Dye has been versatile by leading the Rams with 5.3 rebounds per game and also making 41 3-pointers.

“Antonio is a great guy and is really fun to be around,” ASU head coach Fred Rike said. “He's the same person every day who comes to work and punches the clock. I thought he's played well this year for us and has adjusted well.”

Click for an AngeloSports.com feature story on Antonio Dye

Dye is coming off a 14-point effort at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Wednesday where he hit four 3-pointers in the second half and also grabbed eight rebounds. Dye's career high came in a 22-point effort at Lubbock Christian, while he grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in the Junell Center against ENMU. His four 3-pointers on Wednesday was the fourth time this season he has made four 3-pointers in a game.

Angelo State dropped a 100-83 decision to Incarnate Word on Jan. 19 in San Antonio in the first meeting between the two teams. Bryan Hammond led the Rams with a career-high 26 points, including going 10 for 12 at the free-throw line and finishing with six assists. Justin Walling scored 13 with Chris Talkington adding 12 against the Cardinals who shot 56.7 percent from the field and scored in triple digits for the first and only time in their season.

Jovan Austin continues to lead the Rams with 12.3 points per game this season, including a career high with 20 at Eastern New Mexico. Austin, who is a freshman from Grand Prairie, also leads the Rams with 89 assists and 42 steals coming into Saturday's game.  Dakota Rawls is scoring 10.4 points per game with Chris Talkington adding 10.3. Rawls leads the conference by shooting 88 percent from the free-throw line, while Talkington leads the Rams with 44 3-pointers this season.

Hammond is averaging 9.4 points and is adding 76 assists and 21 steals. The Rams come into their final game by shooting 39 percent from the floor and possessing a plus-3.2 turnover margin. ASU leads the LSC at the free-throw line at 73 percent and are looking to improve to 6-7 at home with a win.  

The Cardinals are averaging 74.2 points per game this season and are shooting 48 percent from the floor. UIW has made 35 percent of its 3-pointers and are shooting 69 percent from the free-throw line.  The team is 1-5 in the month of February.

Dionelle Rucker leads Incarnate Word with 18.1 points per game and is shooting 55 percent from the floor this season. Rucker is also grabbing 6.5 rebounds a game and has 22 blocks and 41 steals on the defensive side of the court. Denzel Livingston is adding 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds, while Lyn'Dale Brown and Kyle Hittle are just above 10 points per. Hittle leads the Cardinals with 33 3-pointers this season.   

Angelo State is 9-7 all-time against Incarnate Word going into the final conference meeting between the two teams with UIW exiting the LSC for the Southland Conference next season. Saturday's game will be broadcast on 1260 KKSA with a simulcast on AngeloSports.com along with live stats and video streaming.