SAN ANGELO – No longer in control of their own destiny but still with the opportunity to earn a regular-season co-Lone Star Conference championship and the top seed of next week's LSC tournament, the No. 15/13-ranked Angelo State Rams will host Texas A&M-Kingsville at 6 p.m. on Saturday on Senior Day for Chris Jones, Marsell Holden, Raijon Kelly, Demario Mayfield and Tommy Woolridge at the Junell Center. Each senior will be honored during a postgame ceremony where they'll address the crowd.

The Rams (23-4, 10-3 LSC) will close out the regular season against the Javelinas (8-17, 3-10 LSC) on a home court where they are 16-0 on this season. ASU comes into the final game of the regular season second in the conference standings behind Tarleton State (11-2 LSC) with the Texans hosting Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday in Stephenville. The Rams and Texans would be co-champions in the regular season if they knock off the Javelinas and then the Lions beat Tarleton State. In that scenario, Angelo State would be the top seed in next week's tournament in Allen by virtue of a tiebreak with two wins over Midwestern State while TSU and MSU split their regular-season series. The Rams last won a title in the 2000-01 season when the team earned the LSC South Championship with an 11-1 conference record.

Angelo State comes into the final game of the regular season leading the nation in scoring margin (23.1) and field-goal percentage (53.3) and is sixth in the nation defensively by limiting opponents to a 38.9 field-goal percentage. The Rams are also eighth in the country with 494 total assists, seventh with 18.3 assists per game and ninth in scoring offense at 86.6 points per game. The team's 1.51 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 10th in all of Division II. ASU leads the Lone Star Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game, fewest turnovers (327), field-goal percentage, field-goal percentage defense, scoring margin, scoring offense, steals per game (8.6), total assists, total steals (231), turnover margin (4.3) and turnovers per game (12.1).

ASU is 1-0 against the Javelinas this season after an 85-67 win in Kingsville on Jan. 31. The Rams are 27-2 at the Junell Center over the past two years under the leadership of head coach Chris Beard and associate head coach Cinco Boone. ASU is outscoring its opponents by 28.3 points per game at home this season and is averaging 91.7 points per game on the Stephens Arena court. Fourteen of the 16 wins have come by double digits with the lone exceptions coming in nine-point victories over Arkansas Tech and West Texas A&M. The Rams have won nine home games by 30 or more points, including a 53-point win over York College and a 56-point victory over McMurry. The last time ASU went undefeated at home was in 2000-01 when it was 10-0. ASU was 11-2 at home last season and were 8-6 in conference play.

The Rams are coming off a 71-68 loss at Texas A&M-Commerce on Wednesday, while the Javelinas took a 76-53 defeat to Midwestern State in Wichita Falls last Saturday. TAMUK did not play a midweek game this week.

 

Post by Angelo Sports.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
The Rams are ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II South Central regional rankings which were released on Wednesday. ASU, which was also No. 4 in the first ranking release, is behind No. 1 Tarleton State and Metro State and Colorado School of Mines. Colorado-Colorado Springs is fifth in the rankings, while Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce are sixth and seventh, respectively. The top five ranked teams that do not earn automatic bids through winning the LSC, RMAC and Heartland Conference tournaments will receive an at-large bid to the regional tournament. ASU has made four NCAA tournament appearances but have not been to the tournament since the 2008-09 season.
 
Most Wins in Program History Reached
23-4       (Current)
22-7       (1983-84)
22-11     (1987-88)
22-8       (2000-01)
20-9       (2008-09)
 
Longest Program Winning Streak Obtained
16           2014-15
10           2013-14
9              1986-87
 
 
Angelo State Program Records Within Sight
Scoring Average
1967-68                87.6 ppg.
Current                86.6
1993-94                86.0
1971-72                85.3
1974-75                84.3
1965-66                82.7
 
Field-Goal Percentage
Current                .533
1987-88                .527
1983-84                .506
1976-77                .492
1974-75                .491
1993-94                .489
2013-14                .464
 
Total Points
2,693                     1987-88
2,596                     1984-85
2,474                     2000-01
2,398                     2001-02
2,337                     Current
2,323                     1993-94
 
3-point Field-Goal Percentage
.417                        1989-90
.393                        Current
.379                        1990-91
.378                        1992-93
 
RAMS IN THE ALL-TIME NATIONAL RANKINGS
In the NABC National Rankings: 20 (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; No. 15, Feb. 24, 2015)
In the D2SIDA Media Poll National Rankings: 9 (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; No. 13, Feb. 24, 2015)
 
Angelo State In-Season Awards
LSC Defensive Player of the Week . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Jones (11.18.2014)
LSC Offensive Player of the Week. . . . . . . . Demario Mayfield (12.1.2014)
LSC Offensive Player of the Week. . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Jones (12.8.2014)
LSC Offensive Player of the Week. . . . . . . . . Marsell Holden (12.22/2014)
LSC Defensive Player of the Week . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Jones (1.6.2015)
LSC Defensive Player of the Week . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Jones (1.12.2015)
LSC Defensive Player of the Week . . . . . . . Demario Mayfield (1.26.2015)
LSC Offensive Player of the Week. . . . . . . . Demario Mayfield (2.09.2015)
 
ANGELO STATE RAM ROSTER REPORT
Chris Jones is the conference leader with 134 assists, 65 steals and a 60.1 field-goal percentage entering the final game of the regular season. Jones, who is averaging 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 5.0 assists per game is coming off scoring 19 points against Commerce. Jones, who is 14th in the nation in steals, has four or more assists in 20 games this season and has scored in double digits in 25 of 27 games. He is second all-time in ASU history with his 65 steals and is only behind James Gray (2000-01) who had 81 steals which is the single-season program record. A senior from Dallas, Jones is a three-time LSC Defensive Player of the Week and has also earned one LSC Offensive Player of the Week honor. Jones scored a career-high with 25 points in a win over West Texas A&M and had 23 points and five assists in the first meeting against the Javelinas. He established a career-high with 12 assists in a game against York College and has scored 20 or more points in six games this season. Jones is 166 of 274 (60.6 percent) from the field and owns a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Demario Mayfield comes into the final game of the regular season leading the Rams with 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and also has 10 double-doubles and one triple-double. Mayfield is second in the LSC in scoring, total steals (39) and rebounding and is coming off a week where he averaged 19 points and 7.0 rebounds in games against Midwestern State and Cameron. He was limited to a season-low four points against Commerce, but had eight rebounds and six assists. He is third in the LSC with 112 total assists and second in the conference with 4.1 assists per game. Mayfield, a senior from Royston, Georgia, matched his career-best with 23 points last Wednesday against MSU and has scored in double digits in 24 of 27 games and has 20 or more points in nine games this season. He recorded his triple-double with 14 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a win over Arlington Baptist and went 5-for-5 on 3-pointers last week against MSU for a season-best. Mayfield is second in the conference – behind only Jones – with his 112 assists (4.1 per game) and is shooting 50 percent from the field this season. He had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the first game against the Javelinas. Mayfield is a two-time LSC Offensive Player of the Week selection and also has one LSC Defensive Player of the Week honor on his season's resume.

Marsell Holden leads the Rams and is second in the conference with 81 3-pointers this season after hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 16 points at Commerce on Wednesday. Holden is shooting 43.8 percent from beyond the and is currently tied for third all-time in the ASU record book for most 3-pointers made in a season behind only Kenny Smith (84; 2004-05), Dexter Young (82; 1999-00). He is now tied with LaMarshall Corbett (81; 2009-10) and passed Darwin Carter (80; 2000-01) on Wednesday. A senior from Farrell, Pennsylvania, Holden is coming off a 20-point game against Cameron last Saturday where he hit six 3-pointers before his four 3-pointers this week at Commerce. He is 22nd in the nation with his 81 3-pointers. The six 3-pointers at Cameron were one shy of his season's best which came with him hitting seven 3-pointers against Arkansas-Monticello. Holden is averaging 14.2 points per game for the Rams and has hit three or more 3-pointers in 17 of the 27 games this season. He scored a season-high 26 points in a win over Eastern New Mexico and went for 14 points in the first meeting against Commerce. Holden has scored in double digits in 23 games this season and has scored 20 or more points in four games.

Raijon Kelly is averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Rams in his senior season where he is shooting 55.3 percent from the field and leads ASU at the free-throw line by hitting 34 of 38 (89.5 percent) of his attempts. Kelly, who is a Minnesota native, has scored in double digits in 15 games this season including a season-high 22 points in a win over ENMU where he went 7-for-7 from the field and also went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. He is coming off a 13-point performance at Commerce where he went 5-for-10 from the field. His free-throw percentage currently ranks third all-time in ASU history behind only Vernon Ragsdale (93.5; 1990-91) and Corbett (90.3; 2009-10). He comes into the final game of the regular season with 88 assists which ranks ninth in the conference. Kelly scored eight points and had four assists in the first game of the season against the Javelinas.

Tommy Woolridge is a senior who is in his second season with the Rams and is averaging 4.7 points per game. He has hit 22 3-pointers this season and now has 59 3-pointers in his career at Angelo State. A Chicago native, Woolridge led ASU with 37 3-pointers last season and is hitting 41.5 percent of his 3-point attempts this year. Woolridge scored a season-best 14 points earlier this year after hitting three 3-pointers at West Texas A&M and also had 11 points on three 3-pointers against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. He had eight points after hitting two 3-pointers in the first game against the Javelinas.

Omari Gudul is adding 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in his junior season and has started the past five games for the Rams. Gudul scored 11 points and had nine rebounds on Wednesday against Commerce and had 11 points and five rebounds in the first meeting against Kingsville. The tallest player on ASU's roster at 6-foot-10, Gudul leads the Rams with 20 blocked shots this season and has pulled down five or more rebounds in 15 games this season. He now has 36 blocked shots in his career at ASU. He scored a career-high with 15 points at McMurry and is shooting 65.9 percent (87 of 132) from the field. Bilal Richardson and Brentine Taylor have been strong inside throughout the season along with Gudul in their junior seasons. Richardson has started 10 games this season and is averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. An Atlanta native in his first season at ASU, Richardson has scored in double digits in five games this season including recording a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Arkansas-Monticello and is second on the team with 18 blocked shots. Taylor, who is also from Georgia and is also averaging 5.0 points per game, is adding 2.6 rebounds per game. Taylor scored a career-best with 13 points at McMurry and had five rebounds and seven points last week against MSU. He is shooting 57.0 percent from the field.
 
TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE JAVELINA REPORT
The Javelinas have split their last two games after earning a 72-67 win over Cameron and then taking the 76-53 loss at Midwestern State. TAMUK is in seventh place in the conference standings with its 3-10 LSC record. The Javelinas are averaging 71.1 points per game and are shooting 41.9 percent for the season, while opponents are averaging 74.6 points per game and are shooting 46.1 percent. TAMUK was limited to 38.3 percent shooting against the Rams in the first meeting, while ASU shot 51.6 percent in the 18-point win.

Troy Jones leads the Javelinas this season with 11.9 points and has 5.8 rebounds per game. A junior from Alexandria, Louisiana, Jones is shooting 62.6 percent from the field. Jones was high school teammates with ASU's DeQuavious Wagner at Peabody Magnet School in Alexandria along with Duan Wright who is averaging 8.8 points per game for the Javelinas. Wagner, who is averaging 3.5 points per game and has 37 assists in his junior season with the Rams, led Peabody to a Louisiana state championship during the three players senior season. Wagner, who played his first two seasons at Arkansas, was named Mr. Basketball of Louisiana after the high school championship season. Jones and Wright both started their careers at Navarro College before heading south to Kingsville. Wright led TAMUK with 16 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting of the season with the Rams, while Jones had 12 points. Wright and Jamar Goodwin lead the Javelinas with 49 assists this season.  

Jordan Jahr is second on the team with 10.8 points per game and leads the Javelinas with 6.2 rebounds per game. A senior from Austin, Jahr started his career at Evansville before transferring back to Texas. He was limited to seven points and two rebounds against the Rams. Don Thomas went for 11 points against the Rams in Kingsville and is averaging 7.9 points this season. Thomas, a senior from Spring who started his career at Texas A&M, is averaging 7.9 points per game and has added 40 assists.