LAWTON, Oklahoma – The No.11 Angelo State men's basketball team fell in a close loss, 80-79, to Cameron University on the road Wednesday night.
The Rams led the majority of the second half, however a 16-4 Aggie run capped off by a layup with six seconds left in the game gave the victory to Cameron. ASU had a chance to reclaim the lead as it inbounded the ball to Tre Bennett with three seconds on the clock. Bennett's ensuing layup was blocked as time expired.
The two teams battle through the beginning of the first half with Cameron eventually building a seven point lead. At the 3:48 mark, Bennett hit a deep 3-pointer to kick off a 9-2 run that would give the rams the lead. ASU would take a 44-39 lead into the half. Â Â Â Â
With the loss Angelo State slides to 14-3 overall and 2-3 in the Lone Star Conference. The offense shot 44.3percent from the field, 42.1 percent from beyond the arc and 69.2 percent from the foul line. The Rams received 32 points from its bench to Cameron's five and outscored the Aggies in second chance points 24-10. ASU was out rebounded 45-34. The win pushed CU to 11-7 on the season and 4-2 in conference play.
Seniors Stedman Allen and Bennett led the offensive efforts for the Rams, each recording double-figure points for the game. Both players have marked their eight consecutive games with double-digits points. Allen's 21 point game is his fifth of the season with at least 20 points, while Bennett's 18 point game marked his 14th double-figure game of the season. Allen was .529 from the paint, .600 from the charity stripe and led the team with seven rebounds for the night. Bennett was .462 from the field , .571 from 3-point range and a perfect 2-2 from the foul line.
Prince Foster and Shaquan Rhoades led the defense each pocketing a pair of steals for the night. This was Rhoades third consecutive game leading the Rams in the steals department. Foster also marked the only shot blocked for the Rams, and tied for a team second with five boards.
The Rams return to the Junell Center on Saturday, January 23 at 4 p.m. to face No. 4 Midwestern State. The game will be broadcasted on RamTV (Suddenlink Channel 6) and on 1260AM KKSA with the voice of the Rams, Jeremy Bryant.