By Wes Bloomquist  ||  wes.bloomquist@angelo.edu

SAN ANGELO – Marsell Holden hit three 3-pointers and led Angelo State with 18 points to help the Rams to an 86-51 non-conference win over Texas A&M International on Saturday in the final game of the Ed Messbarger Tip-Off Classic at the Junell Center.

The Rams (2-0) had 12 players score against the Dustdevils (0-2) who were limited to 28 percent shooting from the field by the ASU defense which also forced 17 turnovers. ASU returns to action at 8 p.m. on Tuesday against McMurry (1-0) and will also host Arkansas Tech (1-1) next Saturday at the Junell Center as part of a five-game home stand to start the season.

Holden finished the game 3-for-6 on 3-point attempts and also hit 5 of 6 shots from the free-throw line to lead the Rams, while Brentine Taylor scored 10 points on a night where he made all five of his attempts from the field and also secured five rebounds. Bilal Richardson led the team with six rebounds and also scored six points and Demario Mayfield added nine points and three rebounds.

ASU finished the game shooting 54 percent from the field and was 9-for-22 from beyond the arc with Mayfield hitting two 3-pointers and Dakota Rawls, Raijon Kelly and Tommy Woolridge also hitting on 3-pointers. Kelly and Woolridge each finished the game with five points and Rawls had three points. The Rams received 35 points from its bench on Saturday with DeQuavious Wagner and Chris Jones scoring eight points each as non-starters in the game and Richardson also coming in as a reserve.

"We played well tonight as a team," ASU head coach Chris Beard said. "We hit shots which always makes the game easier. Texas A&M International is a talented and well-coached team. We thank everyone who came to the games this weekend. It meant a lot to our team and the Messbarger family. Our program has a lot of tradition. Coach (Phil) George and coach Messbarger are coaching legends. We take our responsibility of building the program into a yearly contender very seriously. It was great to see all of coach Messbarger's family and former players in San Angelo this weekend. Coach Messbarger is missed, but never will be forgotten."

Mayfield opened scoring with a 3-pointer and ASU started the game on a 9-0 run with TAMIU not scoring until a pair of free throws at the 14:37 mark of the first half. The Rams led 50-25 at halftime and finished the game with 17 points off turnovers and 10 points on second chance opportunities.

The Dustdevils, an NCAA DII tournament team from last season, was limited to 4 of 16 shooting from beyond the arc and was held to only 15 baskets by the Rams. ASU out-rebounded its opponent 29-22 on the defensive side of the court and had seven steals, including three from Jones.

ASU has started the season with a 2-0 record for the third straight season and has outscored its opponents 183-111 to start this season. The Rams own a 107-51 scoring advantage in the first half through the first two games and is shooting 52 percent from the field while limiting the opposition to only 32 percent shooting. The Rams began last season with a program-best 10-0 record before falling 74-64 against Arkansas Tech in Russellville, Arkansas. The Wonder Boys (1-1) started their season this weekend with a 69-62 win over Wayne State on Friday before falling 93-78 to Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. ATU will host Pittsburg State on Wednesday before travelling to San Angelo to face the Rams next Saturday. McMurry (1-0) started its season on Saturday with a 101-93 win over Concordia in Austin.