SAN ANGELO – The No. 10-ranked Angelo State Rams will return to action at 8 p.m. on Wednesday against Midwestern State in a Lone Star Conference game at the Junell Center.
The Rams (22-2, 9-1) are 15-0 at home this season and are 26-2 inside the Junell Center over the past two seasons under the leadership of head coach
Chris Beard and associate head coach
Cinco Boone. ASU earned a 72-55 win over the Mustangs (19-6, 8-3 LSC) in the first meeting between the two teams on Jan. 21 at the D.L. Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls. The Rams are one game ahead of Tarleton State in the LSC standings, while MSU is third and Texas A&M-Commerce fourth with two weeks remaining in the regular season. A win by the Rams would give them a new single-season program record with 23 victories. Teams from the 1983-84, 1987-88 and 2000-01 seasons each had 22 wins which are the most in a season in ASU history.
Angelo State leads the nation with a 53.6 field-goal percentage and a 25.5 scoring margin advantage, while the Rams are third by limiting opponents to a 38.1 field-goal percentage and are fifth with 18.7 assists per game. ASU is also sixth in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.54), total assists (449) and are eight with an 8.9 rebounding margin advantage. The Rams lead the LSC in assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game, fewest turnovers (292), field-goal percentage, field-goal percentage defense, scoring margin, scoring offense (88.0), steals per game (8.9), total assists, total steals (213), turnover margin (4.5) and turnovers per game (12.2).
ASU has won 16 straight home games dating back to last season with its last home loss coming on Feb. 12, 2014 against Tarleton State. The Rams earned an 83-68 win over the Mustangs last season at home, but then lost to MSU in Wichita Falls and then again in the LSC tournament. The Rams have only one more home game on its regular-season schedule after Wednesday's game with Texas A&M-Kingsville coming to the Junell Center on Saturday, Feb. 28. ASU will travel to Lawton, Oklahoma this weekend to play Cameron after hosting the Mustangs on Wednesday.
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Angelo State Program Records Within SightMost Wins in Program History22-7 (1983-84)
22-11 (1987-88)
22-8 (2000-01)
22-2 (Current)
20-9 (2008-09)
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Scoring AverageCurrent           88.0 ppg.
1967-68 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 87.6
1993-94 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 86.0
1971-72 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 85.3
1974-75 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 84.3
1965-66 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 82.7
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Field-Goal PercentageCurrent           .536
1987-88 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .527
1983-84Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .506
1976-77Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .492
1974-75 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .491
1993-94 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .489
2013-14 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .464
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Total Points2,693Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1987-88
2,596Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1984-85
2,474Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2000-01
2,398Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2001-02
2,323Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1993-94
2,113Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Current
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3-point Field-Goal Percentage.417Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1989-90
.389Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Current
.379Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1990-91
.378Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1992-93
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Longest Program Winning Streak Obtained16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2014-15
10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2013-14
9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1986-87
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RAMS IN THE ALL-TIME NATIONAL RANKINGSIn the NABC National Rankings: 19 (No. 14, Jan. 2, 1984; No. 17, Jan. 9, 1984; No. 13, Jan. 16, 1984; No. 15, Jan. 23, 1984; No. 17, Jan. 30, 1984; No. 25, Feb. 26, 2001; No. 25, Jan. 28, 2002; No. 25, Dec. 16, 2008; No. 23, Feb. 24, 2009; No. 22, Dec. 10, 2013; No. 23, Nov. 25, 2014; No. 22, Dec. 27, 2014; No. 19, Jan. 6, 2015; No. 14, Jan. 13, 2015; No. 11, Jan. 20, 2015; No. 8, Jan. 27, 2015; No. 7, Feb. 3, 2015; No. 4, Feb. 10, 2015; No. 10, Feb. 17, 2015)
In the D2SIDA Media Poll National Rankings: 8 (No. 16, Dec. 2, 2014, No. 19, Dec. 30, 2014; No. 15, Jan. 6, 2015; No. 10, Jan. 13, 2015; No. 8, Jan. 20, 2015; No. 6, Feb. 3, 2015; No. 4, Feb. 10, 2015; No. 9, Feb. 17, 2015)
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ANGELO STATE RAM ROSTER REPORTDemario Mayfield leads the Rams this season with 16.2 points and 8.3 rebounds and is second in the conference in rebounding and fifth in scoring. Mayfield, who is one of only 11 players in the nation on the only one in the LSC to record a triple-double this season, has 10 double-doubles after going for 12 points and 13 rebounds last Wednesday at Tarleton State. A senior from Royston, Georgia, he has scored in double digits in 22 of 24 games with a season-best 23 points coming in games against Colorado Mesa, Western State Colorado and Texas-Permian Basin. He had his triple-double against Arlington Baptist when he went for 14 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Mayfield is averaging 16.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per LSC game. He had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the first meeting against the Mustangs in Wichita Falls.
Chris Jones is a three-time LSC Defensive Player of the Week recipient and has been named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week once this year. He leads the conference with 120 assists and 60 steals and is averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He is averaging 5.0 assists per game, including a season-best 12 assists against York College. A senior from Dallas, Jones scored a season-best 25 points in a home win over West Texas A&M and has scored in double digits in 22 of 24 games this season. He has also recorded four or more assists in 18 games this season, including having six assists last Saturday in the non-conference win over South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Jones, who is 14th in the nation with a 61.9 field-goal percentage, had 11 points, six rebounds and three assists against the Mustangs in the first meeting. His 60 steals currently ranks third all-time in ASU history behind only Darwin Carter (62, 2000-01) and James Gray (81, 2000-01).
Marsell Holden is third on the team and 10th in the conference with 14.1 points per game. Holden is second in the LSC with 69 3-pointers this season and has made three or more 3-pointers in 15 games. He scored 13 points after hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc in Wichita Falls in the first game against the Mustangs and has hit three 3-pointers in each of the past three games.
Raijon Kelly is fourth on the team in scoring and is 27th in the nation with a 2.58 assists-to-turnover ratio. Kelly is averaging 10.4 points per game and is shooting 56.3 percent from the field. A senior from Minnesota, Kelly scored 13 points last week at Tarleton State and had 14 against Midwestern State in the first meeting between the two teams. Kelly leads ASU by shooting 88.9 percent from the free-throw line (32 of 36) and has 80 assists (3.3 per) and 22 steals.
Omari Gudul leads the Rams with 19 blocked shots this season and is also averaging 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Gudul, who is a junior from the Congo, is in his second season with the Rams after playing his freshman season at Ranger College. He scored eight points and had three rebounds against the Mustangs in the first game and is coming off a seven-point game against the Hardrockers. He has started the past two games and has started 40 games in his two seasons at ASU.
Bilal Richardson is second on the team with 16 blocked shots and is averaging 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds, while
Brentine Taylor is averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Richardson and Taylor are both Georgia natives in their junior seasons at ASU. Richardson scored a season-best 15 points against York College and had a double-double with 12 rebounds and 10 points against Arkansas-Monticello earlier this season. Â
Tommy Woolridge is adding 4.9 points per game this season and has hit 21 3-pointers. A senior from Chicago, Woolridge has 58 3-pointers in his career after leading ASU with 37 last season. He scored 11 points last Saturday against S.D. School of Mines after hitting three 3-pointers and had a season-best 14 points at West Texas A&M.
DeQuavious Wagner is adding 3.8 points per game and has 37 assists, while
Thomas Brandsma is averaging 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
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MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANG REPORTThe Mustangs have split their last four games with wins over ENMU and A&M-Commerce and losses to WT and Tarleton State and enter Wednesday's game against the Rams in third place in the LSC standings with their 8-3 conference record. MSU, which is 9-4 away from Wichita Falls this season, leads the conference with 15.2 offensive rebounds and 5.12 blocked shots per game. MSU is averaging 74.9 points per game and own a 9.9 rebounding margin advantage over its opponents.
Bretson McNeal leads the Mustangs with 16.3 points per game throughout the season and 15.3 points per LSC game and has also added 4.5 rebounds per game and 47 assists. McNeal, who is a junior from Minneapolis, was limited to three points on 1 of 3 shooting against the Rams in the first meeting between the two schools. Xavier Blackburn, the LSC's Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 11.2 points per game in in conference play and 10.4 points per game this season. A Louisiana native, Blackburn is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game and has added 43 assists and leads MSU with 35 steals. He scored eight points and had four rebounds in the first game against the Rams.
Khapri Alston is third on the team with 8.4 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 5.4 rebounds per game. Alston and Abiodun Adegoke are the rebounding leaders with Alston coming off a 12 points, seven-rebound performance against ASU in the first game. Adegoke has 17 blocked shots this season, while Trevor Fuller is second in the conference with 36 blocked shots. Fuller is averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds this season and was limited to two points and one blocked shot against the Rams. Kevin Wagner, a senior from Lubbock, leads MSU with 81 assists this season and is seventh in the conference.
This will be MSU's final road game of the season as the Mustangs will finish off their regular season with home games against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Cameron.
Lone Star Conference Championship ApproachingHalf price tickets are now on sale for the 2015 Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship, March 4
th through 7th at the Allen Events Center. The half price tickets are only available at the Junell Center Ticket Office or by calling 942-2583. Normal $45 all-session passes are now discounted to just $22.50, or fans can purchase half-price single-session vouchers that can be redeemed at any session you attend for just $7.50. Fans have until Saturday, February 28
th to buy half price Lone Star Conference Tournament tickets and can only do so through the Junell Center Ticket Office.
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