LAWTON, Okla., - A hot shooting Cameron team proved to be too much as the No. 10/9 Angelo State men's basketball team suffered just its second Lone Star Conference loss of the year on Saturday at the Aggie Gym. 

Angelo State cut a 77-73 Cameron lead down to one with a 3-pointer by Demario Mayfield with 19 seconds left in the game. The Aggies would hit two free throws and score on a break-away dunk to win 81-78..     

"First of all, give Cameron credit," ASU head coach Chris Beard said. "They played well and were well-prepared by their coaches. We did not play defensively tonight like a good team must on the road and in a game during this part of the season. We fouled too much and couldn't get into any kind of defensive rhythm. Again, give Cameron credit."

The Rams (23-3, 10-2 LSC) were held to 47.5-percent shooting on the night and fall to 7-3 on the road this season. The Aggies (12-13, 4-9 LSC) made 61.9-percent from the field while also converting 24-of-32 from the free throw line.  ASU held the advantage in second chance points at 16-3 but Cameron won the battle in the paint 28-22. All three ASU loses have come by four points or less.

Marsell Holden led ASU with 20 points including six 3-pointers. Demario Mayfield scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds. Chris Jones added 14 points and eight assists. The eight assists are the most for Jones since recording a season high of 12 against York College.  Bilal Richardson and Tommy Woolridge each chipped in seven points.

Holden hit one of his six 3-pointers with 4:45 left in the second half to put ASU up 69-63 but the Aggies responded with a 10-0 run to go ahead 73-69. The two teams traded layups and Jones went the length of the court to cut CU's lead to 75-73. Jones was fouled after a missed Aggie layup but was unable to convert a free throw. Cameron took the rebound and pushed its advantage back to four with less than 30 seconds to play before Mayfield's 3-pointer with 19 second left to go.

Down 41-37 at halftime, the Rams opened the second half on a 9-0 run. Omari Gudul took an assist from Raijon Kelly for a dunk and Holden followed it up with a 3-pointer to put ASU on top 46-41 just over two minutes into the half. ASU would lead by as much as seven in the second half before Cameron chipped away at the lead. The game featured eight ties and nine lead changes.

The Rams took an early 12-4 lead on Cameron behind three pointers by both Holden and Tommy Wooldridge.  The Aggies used sharp shooting to stay in the contest hitting 14-of-23 (60.9-percent) in the first half. Cameron would take its largest lead of the game with 1:57 to go in the first half before ASU cut it to one at the break with a 3-pointer by Thomas Brandsma. Mayfield scored 10 of his 15 points in the first half.  

The Rams return to action at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday with their final regular season road game of the year at Texas A&M-Commerce at the Fieldhouse.

"We will get back to work tomorrow," Beard said. "Basketball is like life. You must respond to adversity. I believe in our players. We must, and will, play better."