SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No. 15 Angelo State men's basketball team looks to get back on track with a Lone Star Conference match-up against West Texas A&M in Stephens Arena at the Junell Center on Wednesday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Sliding to No. 15 in the National Assoscation of Basketball Coaches Poll and sitting at 12-2, 0-2 LSC, Angelo State will be seeking to gain its first conference victory. The Rams currently trail the Buffs in the all-time series 22-39, however took both games against WT last season. The Buffs are 12-6 on the season and 1-2 in the Lone Star Conference having defeated Cameron, 83-78, in its last match-up.
The Rams high scoring offense remains within the top 10 nationally, at No. 7 as they are scoring an average of 92.7 points per game. It also remains at No. 8 nationally with a scoring margin that averages 16.9 points per game over its opponents. In addition, ASU currently tops the LSC in assists per game (17.7) and free throw percentage (.755).
Tre Bennett and Stedman Allen will lead the Angelo State offensive attack against the Buffs. Bennett is currently averaging 16.6 points per game; and the senior point guard has collected double-figure points in the last five consecutive games. He leads the team from beyond the arc, knocking down 2.5 threes per game giving him a .402 3-point shooting percentage. Having proven to be just a proficient from the charity line, he also boasts an impressive .853 free throw percentage for the year. His 4.6 assists per game is also a team high.
With a 16.2 point per game average, Allen leads the team in points from short range averaging him a .543 field goal percentage for the season. He has marked at least 10 points in 11 of his 13 games played in 2016. The senior forward is also second on the squad in the free throw category making .734 percent of attempts. Allen has also assisted the Rams defense pulling down 4.9 boards and pocketing 1.2 steals per game. He is one of four players on the squad with multiple double-doubles on the year.
Defensively, the Rams lead the LSC in turnovers forced (18.21) and steals (9.1) per game. Angelo State will look to Omari Gudul and Thomas Tshikaya to solidify its defense against West Texas. Gudul's 8.4 rebounds per game leads ASU and is currently third in the LSC. He has tallied double-figure boards in seven games this season which has led him to racking up a team leading three double-doubles on the season. The veteran forward is averaging 2.3 blocks on the season. Tshikaya is averaging 6.4 rebounds and a steal per competition. Both players have also made serious contributions to the team's offense as Gudul drops in 9.1 points per game, while Tshikaya checks in with a 6.9 point per game average.
Assisting ASU with stellar play on both sides of the ball and providing great depth to the team, Prince Foster and Shelton Boykin have proven to be valuable assets. Boykin's 14.4 points per game average is third on the team and he has marked double-figures in 10 games this season which includes his latest showing of 14 points against Texas A&M- Commerce. On defense, he leads the team in steals with 21 on the season and is tied for second on the team pulling down 6.4 rebounds per game. Following closely behind with a team second 18 steals on the season, Foster is within the top two on the squad with 16 total blocks for the seson. Ofensively, he averages 7.6 points per competition and his 2.6 assists per game is also second on the Rams.
Wednesday's game will be broadcasted on RamTV, Suddenlink channel 6, and on1260AM KKSA with Jeremy Bryant on the call.
