STEPHENVILLE – A trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight will be the reward when the No. 19-ranked Angelo State Rams and No. 7 Tarleton State Texans meet in the South Central Championship finals at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Widsom Gym in Stephenville. 

The Rams (28-5) are in the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history and are one win away from advancing to the round of eight after earning a 66-49 semifinal win over Midwestern State on Sunday at the regional tournament. TSU (29-3) is 19-1 on its home court this season and have not lost at Wisdom since a 78-76 loss to Midwestern State on Jan. 14. The Texans advanced to the finals after taking an 84-62 semifinal win over Colorado-Colorado Springs on Sunday. The sixth-seeded Rams and the top-seeded Texans split their regular-season games this season with the home team winning each time. This will be the first time the Rams and Texans have met in the NCAA tournament. Wins in Stephenville have traditionally been tough for the Rams with the Texans winning the past 12 games over ASU at Wisdom Gym. ASU has not won a game in Stephenville against the Texans since a 64-47 victory on Feb. 8, 2001. ASU came close to breaking that streak in 2007, but dropped a 76-73 overtime decision and then again this season when TSU claimed a 72-68 win on Feb. 11 to snap a program-record 16-game winning streak by the Rams. A win by the Rams would be the eighth time in program history that ASU has beat TSU twice in a season. 

More importantly though, the winner advances and will represent the South Central region at the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana from March 25-28 at the Ford Center. 
 
ANGELO STATE IN THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
ASU is now 3-5 all-time in the national tournament after advancing to this year's finals with an 85-79 quarterfinals win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday and then a 66-49 victory over Midwestern State on Sunday in the semifinals. The Rams are competing in their first regional tournament since 2009 and are playing the program's first regional final. This is the first time ASU has played a regional tournament in the state of Texas after previously playing two regional tournaments in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, one in Topeka, Kansas and most recently playing in the 2009 tournament in Warrensburg, Missouri. The only previous national postseason win for the Rams in program history came in the 1989 tournament when they earned an 89-80 win over Northwest Missouri State in a consolation game at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. A win TSU would advance the Rams to their first trip to the NCAA DII Elite Eight which will be played in Evansville, Indiana.
 
ASU AGAINST TARLETON STATE (ROUND THREE)
Angelo State and Tarleton State split their regular-season matchups with the Rams earning a 78-60 win on Jan. 7 at the Junell Center before the Texans took a 72-68 decision on Feb. 11 in Stephenville. ASU shot 40.7 percent from the field in the two games against TSU and had a 73-63 rebounding advantage. Marsell Holden averaged 18.0 points per game in the two meetings, including scoring 20 points in the loss after hitting three 3-pointers and going 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Demario Mayfield led ASU in the win over the Texans with 22 points and then had a double-double with 13 rebounds and 12 points in the loss. Mayfield averaged 17 points and 9.0 rebounds per game against TSU in the regular season, while Chris Jones averaged 12 points and 4.5 assists per game. 

Mo Lee leads the Texans with 15.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season, while Michael Hardge is averaging 10.4 points per game and leads the team with 114 assists and 43 steals. TSU is averaging 75.2 points per game this season and is shooting 48.7 percent from the field. 
 
STAT REPORT
The Rams enter the finals of the NCAA DII South Central Championship leading the nation with a 20.9 scoring margin advantage and are now third in the nation with a 52.9 field-goal percentage and fifth with a 39.2 defensive field-goal percentage. ASU is fifth in the nation with 573 assists and 22nd with 273 steals. A 1.45 turnover-to-assist ratio ranks 14th in the nation and they are fifth in the nation by limiting opponents to a 39.2 field-goal percentage. The Rams, who have won five of their last six games, are averaging 84.7 points per game which ranks 12th in the nation and is the highest-scoring average in the conference. Tarleton State is third in the nation by limiting opponents to 60.1 points per game this season and is fourth by holding shooters to 29.8 percent on 3-pointers. TSU is strong inside and has shot the sixth most free throws in the nation with 854, while its 15.0 scoring margin ranks eighth. 

ASU has shot over 50 percent in 24 games this season and has limited the opposition to under 40 percent shooting in 17 games, including limiting MSU to 27.4 percent shooting in the semifinals on Sunday. The Rams shot a season-best 66.1 percent in a win over McMurry. ASU has hit 10 3-pointers in four games and a season-best 11 3-pointers in a 112-81 win over Eastern New Mexico and had a season-high 17 steals in the season-opener against Oklahoma Panhandle. 
 
A SURGING PROGRAM
 
Angelo State has experienced a rapid resurgence over the past two seasons under the leadership of head coach  Chris Beard and associate head coach  Cinco Boone who inherited a program which had gone 7-19 the season before they arrived. In their two seasons, the Rams have amassed a 47-15 record and were ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation this season. ASU has already recorded a historic season with the most wins in a season in program history, along with running off a 16-game winning streak during the course of the campaign and are now in the NCAA regional finals for the first time in program history. Beard was named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year last week and will be looking to lead the Rams to their first Elite Eight in program history with a cast of five seniors, five juniors, one sophomore and one freshman on the active roster. As an assistant at Texas Tech, Beard helped lead Tech to four NCAA tournaments but this will be the first NCAA tournament for all the players on the ASU roster.

The Rams entered the national tournament ranked No. 19 in the NABC poll and are now 6-3 this season against teams in the regional field, including a 3-0 record against MSU after Sunday's win, a 1-1 record against TSU and now a 2-2 record against Commerce after eliminating the Lions on Saturday. The Rams are 4-1 in this year's postseason with wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville (83-73) and Cameron (76-53) in the conference tournament and then a loss to Commerce (68-61) in the conference tournament finals before the quarterfinal and semifinal wins here in Stephenville.

RAM ROSTER REPORT

Chris Jones scored 12 points and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals on Saturday in the quarterfinal win over Commerce and then recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against MSU in the semifinals. He earned Daktronics All-South Central and LSC first-team honors this season after leading the Rams with 161 assists and 72 steals this season to go along with averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Jones earned three LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season and one LSC Offensive Player of the Week award in a season where he averaged 4.9 assists and 2.3 assists per game which both led the conference. Jones has recorded four or more assists in 23 games and has had eight assists in four games. He established his career-best in assists with 12 against York College where he also had 16 points for his only double-double of the season. Jones, a senior from Dallas, transferred to Angelo State this season after playing his first three seasons at North Texas. He scored a career-high 25 points in a win over West Texas A&M earlier this season and has scored in double digits in 29 of 32 games. He has scored 20 or more points in eight games, including leading the Rams with 21 points in the quarterfinals of the LSC tournament with 21 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville and then scoring 22 points in the semifinal win over Cameron where he also had five assists and seven rebounds. He was named to the LSC all-tournament team and currently ranks 19th in the nation with his team and conference-leading 59.6 field-goal percentage. Jones has shot over 60 percent in 17 games this season, including shooting 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) against MSU in the semifinals, 9 of 11 (81.8 percent) against Oklahoma Wesleyan, 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) against ENMU and 8-for-11 (72.7 percent) last Friday against Cameron in the semifinals of the LSC tournament. Jones' 72 steals rank second in program history behind only James Gray who had 81 steals in the 2000-01 season and his 161 assists are the fifth most in a season.

Demario Mayfield is coming off a career-best 24-point performance on Saturday against Commerce where he also added seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. He followed that performance with 17 points and six rebounds against the Mustangs in the semifinals. Mayfield, who earned Daktronics All-South Central second-team honors this season, enters the semifinals of the NCAA tournament leading the Rams with 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds this season and was selected to the LSC first-team and to the conference's all-tournament team. Mayfield also has 129 assists and 51 steals, which ranks second on the team and second in the conference. He has scored in double digits in 30 of 33 games this season, including a previous season-best 23 points against Midwestern State, Texas-Permian Basin, Western State and Colorado Mesa. He has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, including going for 19 points and 14 rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Texas A&M-Kingsville at the conference tournament. Mayfield is the only LSC player to record a triple-double this season when he had 14 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a win over Arlington Baptist. A senior from Royston, Georgia, Mayfield played his freshman season at Georgia and then two seasons at Charlotte before transferring to Angelo State where he is a graduate student. Along with his postseason honors, Mayfield earned two LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and one LSC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Mayfield recorded his double-doubles this season against McMurry (14/11), Western State (23/11), UTPB (23/11), at McMurry (11/14), Arlington Baptist (14/10/13), Arkansas-Monticello (17/11), at Midwestern State (20/11), A&M-Commerce (16/11), West Texas A&M (20/13), at Tarleton State (12/13) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (19/14). His 11 double-doubles matches Marcus Hubbard (2005-06) for the third most in ASU's program history and is only behind Ed Wheeler who had 18 double-doubles in the 1992-93 season and 14 in the 1991-92 season. Mayfield is the only player in Angelo State history to record a triple-double.

Marsell Holden drilled six 3-pointers in the quarterfinal win over Commerce and finished the game with 22 points on his 6-for-12 performance from beyond the arc before scoring 12 points in the semifinals against Midwestern with two 3-pointers. He has established a new single-season record at Angelo State for 3-pointers and now has 103 3-pointers after hitting eight 3-pointers in the past three games. Holden, who is averaging 14.5 points per game, is shooting 43.5 percent from beyond the arc this season and has hit three or more 3-pointers in 20 games this season. His 103 3-pointers leads the LSC and is the seventh most in the nation. He established a career-best with seven 3-pointers in a win over Arkansas-Monticello where he scored 23 points and has drilled six 3-pointers in three games now, most recently against the Lions in back-to-back games, and also in a game against Cameron where he scored 20 points. Holden had a career-high 26 points earlier this season against Eastern New Mexico where he went 5-for-7 on 3-pointers. A senior from Farrell, Pennsylvania, Holden has also added 40 assists and 34 steals this season. He has scored in double digits in 28 games and has scored 20 or more points in eight games this season. Holden earned one LSC Offensive Player of the Week honor this season and was named an LSC Honorable Mention selection last week.
 
Chris Jones scored 12 points and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals on Saturday in the quarterfinal win over Commerce and then recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against MSU in the semifinals. He earned Daktronics All-South Central and LSC first-team honors this season after leading the Rams with 161 assists and 72 steals this season to go along with averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Jones earned three LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season and one LSC Offensive Player of the Week award in a season where he averaged 4.9 assists and 2.3 assists per game which both led the conference. Jones has recorded four or more assists in 23 games and has had eight assists in four games. He established his career-best in assists with 12 against York College where he also had 16 points for his only double-double of the season. Jones, a senior from Dallas, transferred to Angelo State this season after playing his first three seasons at North Texas. He scored a career-high 25 points in a win over West Texas A&M earlier this season and has scored in double digits in 29 of 32 games. He has scored 20 or more points in eight games, including leading the Rams with 21 points in the quarterfinals of the LSC tournament with 21 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville and then scoring 22 points in the semifinal win over Cameron where he also had five assists and seven rebounds. He was named to the LSC all-tournament team and currently ranks 19th in the nation with his team and conference-leading 59.6 field-goal percentage. Jones has shot over 60 percent in 17 games this season, including shooting 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) against MSU in the semifinals, 9 of 11 (81.8 percent) against Oklahoma Wesleyan, 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) against ENMU and 8-for-11 (72.7 percent) last Friday against Cameron in the semifinals of the LSC tournament. Jones' 72 steals rank second in program history behind only James Gray who had 81 steals in the 2000-01 season and his 161 assists are the fifth most in a season.

Demario Mayfield is coming off a career-best 24-point performance on Saturday against Commerce where he also added seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. He followed that performance with 17 points and six rebounds against the Mustangs in the semifinals. Mayfield, who earned Daktronics All-South Central second-team honors this season, enters the semifinals of the NCAA tournament leading the Rams with 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds this season and was selected to the LSC first-team and to the conference's all-tournament team. Mayfield also has 129 assists and 51 steals, which ranks second on the team and second in the conference. He has scored in double digits in 30 of 33 games this season, including a previous season-best 23 points against Midwestern State, Texas-Permian Basin, Western State and Colorado Mesa. He has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, including going for 19 points and 14 rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Texas A&M-Kingsville at the conference tournament. Mayfield is the only LSC player to record a triple-double this season when he had 14 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a win over Arlington Baptist. A senior from Royston, Georgia, Mayfield played his freshman season at Georgia and then two seasons at Charlotte before transferring to Angelo State where he is a graduate student. Along with his postseason honors, Mayfield earned two LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and one LSC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Mayfield recorded his double-doubles this season against McMurry (14/11), Western State (23/11), UTPB (23/11), at McMurry (11/14), Arlington Baptist (14/10/13), Arkansas-Monticello (17/11), at Midwestern State (20/11), A&M-Commerce (16/11), West Texas A&M (20/13), at Tarleton State (12/13) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (19/14). His 11 double-doubles matches Marcus Hubbard (2005-06) for the third most in ASU's program history and is only behind Ed Wheeler who had 18 double-doubles in the 1992-93 season and 14 in the 1991-92 season. Mayfield is the only player in Angelo State history to record a triple-double.

Raijon Kelly enters the finals of the NCAA tournament averaging 9.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Rams this season after scoring 14 points and having seven rebounds and three assists on Saturday against Commerce and then scoring four points in the semifinals against MSU. Kelly, a senior from St. Paul, Minnesota, is shooting 53.1 percent this season and has recorded 17 double-digit scoring performances this season including a season-best 22 points earlier this season against ENMU. Kelly had a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists against Arkansas Tech earlier this season and had a season-best eight rebounds in a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. Kelly scored 10 points in the LSC semifinal win over Cameron last Friday in Allen and is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game against Tarleton this season. He leads the Rams by shooting 90.7 percent (39-for-43) from the free-throw line this season and has made 30 3-pointers (41.7 percent) this season. Kelly is in his first season at Angelo State after playing his first three years at Samford University.

Omari Gudul is averaging 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Rams in 20 starts and 33 games played. He had five points and four rebounds on Saturday in the win over Commerce and then four points against MSU in the semifinals. Gudul, who is a junior in his second season at ASU, scored 10 points last Wednesday against Kingsville in the quarterfinals of the LSC tournament and has scored in double digits in 10 games this season. He scored a season-best 15 points earlier this season at McMurry and had a season-high nine rebounds at Commerce. A native of the Congo, Gudul is shooting 64.3 percent from the field this season and is tied for the team lead with  Bilal Richardson with 23 blocked shots. Richardson, who is also a junior, is averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Rams in his first season in San Angelo. An Atlanta native, Richardson recorded a double-double earlier this season with 12 rebounds and 10 points against Arkansas-Monticello and contributed six points at the LSC tournament in the semifinals and finals. Richardson matched his season-best with three blocked shots against the Lions in the finals on Saturday at the conference tournament. He has three blocked shots now in three games.   Brentine Taylor has added depth inside all season for the Rams and is averaging 4.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game entering Sunday's game. A Cochran, Georgia native, Taylor scored a season-high 13 points earlier this season at McMurry and had a career-best seven rebounds in a win over ENMU. He has started three games this season and has played in all 31.  Taylor is shooting 57.9 percent from the field this season and has six blocked shots. He scored four points and had three rebounds in the win over Commerce on Saturday.

Tommy Woolridge and  Thomas Brandsma are the only two returners from last year's team who have played for the Rams this season and are both providing valuable minutes as reserves. Woolridge led the Rams last season in 3-pointers made and has hit 27 3-pointers this season and is averaging 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Woolridge has hit 64 3-pointers in his two seasons at ASU and scored a season-best 15 points on Senior Day against Texas A&M-Kingsville. He is shooting 42.2 percent from beyond the arc and has also added 25 steals for the Ram defense. Brandsma transferred to ASU last season after playing his freshman season for Beard and Boone at McMurry and is averaging 2.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game this season. A Colleyville native, Brandsma had four rebounds and two points in the quarterfinal win over Commerce. A finance major, he earned a spot on the LSC All-Academic team this season.  DeQuavious Wagner is in his first season at ASU and has also been a valuable reserve player for the Rams throughout the season. A junior from Alexandria, Louisiana, Wagner is averaging 3.3 points and 1.3 assists per game after transferring from the University of Arkansas. A point guard, he has played in all 32 games this season and has recorded 42 assists and 20 steals for the Rams and scored a career-best 10 points in a win at Western New Mexico. Wagner has made 11 3-pointers this season and is shooting 36-for-76 (47.4 percent) from the field in his first season with the Rams. He had two points and an assists in the win over Commerce in the opening round.
 
Rams at the NCAA Tournament (Fifth Trip, 3-5 Overall Record)

1988 Tournament (Cape Girardeau, Missouri)
L, 111-75 Southeast Missouri State
L, 87-84, South Dakota State (Consolation)
 
1989 Tournament (Cape Girardeau, Missouri)
L, 65-60, Southeast Missouri State
W, 89-80, Northwest Missouri State (Consolation)
 
2001 Tournament (Topeka, Kansas)
L, 80-75, Northeastern State
 
2009 Tournament (Warrensburg, Missouri)
L, 89-84, Southwest Baptist
 
2015 Tournament (Stephenville, Texas)
W, 85-79, Texas A&M-Commerce
W, 66-49, Midwestern State
 
Angelo State Postseason Awards
LSC Coach of the Year:   Chris Beard
LSC First Team:   Chris Jones
LSC First Team:   Demario Mayfield
LSC Honorable Mention:   Marsell Holden
LSC All-Academic:   Thomas Brandsma
LSC All-Tournament Team:   Chris Jones
LSC All-Tournament Team:   Demario Mayfield
 
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 PROGRAM HISTORY
NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 5 (1988, 1989, 2001, 2009, 2015)
Lone Star Conference Tournament Titles: 3 (1984, 1988,1989)
Lone Star Conference Tournament Appearances: 28 (1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986,1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993,1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015)
In the NABC National Rankings:  22 (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; No. 17, March 3, 2015; No. 19, March 10, 2015)
In the D2SIDA Media Poll National Rankings: 11 (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. 7, Jan. 27, 2015; No. 6, Feb. 3, 2015; No. 4, Feb. 10, 2015; No. 9, Feb. 17, 2015; No. 13, Feb. 24, 2015; No. 15, March 3, 2015)
20-Win Seasons: 5 (28-5; Current); (1983-84, 22-7); (1987-88, 22-11);
(2000-01, 22-8);  (2008-09, 20-9)
 
PREVIOUS GAME REPORTS AGAINST TARLETON STATE
 
Texans snap ASU's 16-game winning streak (Feb. 11, 2015)
STEPHENVILLE – A 16-point halftime deficit proved to be the deciding factor to the end of Angelo State's 16-game winning streak.

No. 11 Tarleton State survived a second-half surge by the No. 4-ranked Rams who cut the halftime discrepancy down to three at 71-68 when  Tommy Woolridge  hit a layup with eight seconds remaining, but the Texans would hit one of two free throws to take a 72-68 Lone Star Conference win on Wednesday at the Wisdom Gym.

The Rams (21-2, 9-1 LSC) saw their program-record winning streak end at 16, while the Texans (21-2, 8-2 LSC) extended their streak to eight wins and evened the season-series with ASU which earned a 78-60 win over TSU on Jan. 7 at the Junell Center. The Rams have now lost 12 straight games to the Texans in Stephenville, but remain one game ahead of them in this season's LSC standings. ASU, which was limited to a season-low 20 points in the first half, stormed back to score 48 in the second half after hitting 16 of 20 free throws and committing only three turnovers. 

"We are not a team that is going to quit," ASU head coach  Chris Beard  said. "We didn't play at our best in the first half, but I was proud of our second-half effort. We played well enough to win the game and never gave up. Give Tarleton credit. They did what good teams do by defending their home court and we have to continue doing the same. We have to get back to work tomorrow and be ready for our next game on Friday."

Rams open LSC play with win over Texans (Jan. 7, 2015)
SAN ANGELO – This one was won on the defensive side of the court.

The No. 19-ranked Angelo State Rams opened Lone Star Conference play with an impressive 78-60 win over No. 3 Tarleton State on Wednesday, limiting the previously unbeaten Texans (12-1, 0-1 LSC) to a season-low 34.5 field-goal percentage and owning a plus-seven turnover margin advantage at the Junell Center. The Rams (13-1, 1-0 LSC) earned their eighth straight win, improved to 10-0 at home and beat the highest ranked opponent in program history, but more importantly, started conference play with a victory.

"Our team defense was good tonight against a talented, well-coached Tarleton team," ASU head coach  Chris Beard  said. "Each win in conference play is so difficult and I'm happy for our players to get this first win. We are a good team when we get balanced scoring like we did tonight with four guys in double figures and when we defended."

Demario Mayfield  led the Rams with 22 points and added five rebounds and three assists, while  Marsell Holden knocked down three 3-pointers and finished the game with 16 points.  Chris Jones  ran the offense from the point guard position with precision, scoring 12 points and dishing out six assists, while also stifling the Texans with four steals. Raijon Kelly  joined his teammates in double figures with 10 points and  Omari Gudul  added eight points and led the Rams with seven rebounds. Mayfield finished the game shooting 7 of 14 from the field and hit seven free throws, while Jones went 5 of 10 from the field and Holden hit 3 of 6 shots from beyond the arc. Mayfield and  Bilal Richardson  each had two steals for the Rams who forced 16 Tarleton State turnovers, while ASU committed only nine turnovers throughout the 40 minutes of play. The Rams shot 38.2 percent from the field in the first half, but came out firing in the second half where they went 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) and also made 16 of 23 shots from the free-throw line. ASU finished the game shooting 44.6 percent from the field, including the 54.5 percentage in the second half when they expanded a 35-28 halftime lead and were up by as many as 21 points.

The Texans stayed close throughout the first half by hitting six 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, but struggled from beyond the arc by going 2 of 9 from the second half. ASU owned the area around the basket, finishing the game with a 26-14 points in the pain advantage and also had a 39-36 rebounding advantage. TSU opened the game with 3-pointers from Malcolm Hamilton, Michael Hardge and EJ Reed to take a 9-4 lead, but the Rams responded with an 8-0 run which was capped by a Gudul jumper at the 13:28 mark and wouldn't trail the remainder of the game. TSU tied the game at 19 and then again at 22, but a 9-0 run by the Rams took the score to 31-22 with 3:40 remaining in the first half and put some distance between the two nationally ranked teams.

"We were locked in and stayed focused," Holden said. "We wanted to get a lead and keep building. Our team got some stops and caught a rhythm. It was a big win, but we're going to watch film and learn from it and head on to the next game."

ASU, which beat its first ranked opponent since topping No. 17-ranked Arkansas Tech 71-69 last season, went into halftime with the 35-28 lead and were up 49-36 when Mayfield drained his lone 3-pointer at the 12:17 mark of the second half. The lead grew to 20 for the first time when Kelly hit a pair of free throws with seven minutes remaining and it was pushed back to 20 when Holden hit his third 3-pointer with 1:05 to play.