SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No.11/16 Angelo State men's basketball team will take on the first place, Cameron Aggies in a Lone Star Conference showdown on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. for its last regular season home game of the 2015-16 season.
Coming of its first win against Texas A&M – Commerce in Commerce, Texas since 2008, the Rams now sit at 19-4, 7-4 LSC on the season. Riding a three game winning streak, Angleo State made a jump in the National Association of Basketball Coach Poll from No.20 to No.16 and No.12 to No.11 in the D2 Media Poll. The team will also seek to build upon This season's 10-1 home record. Despite a close 80-79 loss earlier this season, ASU holds a 26-18 lead in the all-time series against the Aggies. Cameron currently sits on top of the LSC and holds a one game lead of the second place Rams. CU enters Wednesday's night match-up riding a two game win streak, with its last, 72-66, win coming against Eastern New Mexico.
ASU's offensive attack is currently averaging a conference leading 89.2 points per game. It also leads the LSC with a 72.9 shooting percentage from the free throw line and an average of 15.5 assists per game. On the defensive side of the ball, Angelo State has moved up to No.9 in the nation and first in the LSC forcing 17.83 turnovers per game. Its 9.0 steals per game average and 208 total steals place it at the top of the conference as well. Angelo State will also be honoring its three seniors, Stedman Allen, Tre Bennett and Omari Gudul immediately after the game.
Thomas Tshikaya led the Rams in its last match-up against the Lions. He dropped a season high and a team high for the game 20 points. With the stellar performance he is now averaging 7.0 points per game. His team leading 13 rebounds on defense earned the junior his second double-double of the year. The forward has pulled multiple rebounds in 21 games this season and is averaging a team second 5.4 rebounds per game and remains second on the team with 25 total blocks.
Leading the Angelo State offense with a 16.6 points per game average, Bennett has now scored double-digit points 14 consecutive games. The senior is currently averaging a .447 shooting percentage from the field, a .376 percent from 3-point range and a .857 percent from the stripe. He played an integral role in the teams win over TAMUC scoring 14 points for the game. The senior also recorded a team leading 10 assists against the Lions and currently leads the team and is second in the conference averaging 4.9 total assists per game. Recording double-figures in both points and assists against TAMUC he earned his first double-double of the season. Pocketing three steals in his last performance he has now contributed a team leading 34 steals to the team's defensive efforts.
Quay King also had an outstanding game in Commerce scoring a team second 18 points. The junior has been a staple for the Rams shooting from long range and hit .571 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last Saturday. This placed him only one deep bucket away from taking over the team lead with 52 threes made this season. The junior is currently averaging 2.4 threes per game. Dropping in 7-of-11 from the field against the Lions King showed his shooting versatility. This has also jumped him to a 10.2 point per game average on the year. He has tallied double-figure points five of the last six this and in 10 total games and season.
Allen trails just behind the team leader with a team second and conference fourth 16.5 point per game average. He was one of five that marked double figures against Texas A&M – Commerce with a 15 point performance. This is the senior's 14th consecutive game scoring double-figure points. He is currently sporting a team third 5.0 rebound per game average on the season.
Gudul leads the Rams and is currently fifth in the LSC in the rebound category pulling down a team leading 7.6 boards per game. Still averaging 1.9 blocks per game he has recorded a team first 43 blocks. Gudul has recorded a block in four of his last five games and has recorded14 games overall this season with multiple blocks. Gudul is averaging a team fourth 9.0 points per game and holds on to lead the squad with four double-doubles on the season.
Rounding out Angelo State top performers, Prince Foster and Shaquan Rhoades have provided excellent support on both sided of the ball this season. Foster moved back to the second on the team with 43 total assists on the season. This averages the junior 2.0 assists per game. Having shot 7-for-11 from the field and scoring 15 points in his last game, Foster is also averaging 7.5 points per game. He is currently riding a three game double-figure points streak. Defensively, the guard out of Miami, Florida has a team second 31 steals this year and is third on the squad with 20 blocked shots. Rhoades is third on the team with 44 total assists which averages him 2.0 assist per game. He is third on the Rams with 25 steals and has recorded a steal in seven of the last nine games.
