SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State men's basketball team fell just short in their comeback bid Saturday afternoon, taking a one-point loss to the University of Texas Permian Basin on the road in Odessa.
The Rams (10-4, 2-4 LSC) had the ball with 10 seconds left in a matchup that saw 11 lead changes, giving them a chance for a game-winning shot, but the Falcons' (12-4, 4-3 LSC) strong defense forced a turnover and won them the game.
ASU outshot UTPB both from short range and behind the arc. The Rams shot 44 percent inside the arc and almost 37 percent from long range, compared to just 41 percent and 21 percent for the Falcons. ASU also shot well from the charity stripe, making 81 percent of their free throws.
Quay King led the way for the Rams, hitting 6 of 11 shots behind the arc and 8 of 18 overall for a team-leading 24 points. King led the team in rebounds as well with seven and tied for the team lead with three. Brandon Williams and DeVonte' Pratt both also finished in the double digits, scoring 14 and 12 respectively.
The Falcons jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first eight points of the game. They pushed the lead to 10 points with 12:47 left in the first half, but back-to-back three-pointers from King kicked off a 13-2 Ram run that put ASU on top for the first time.
UTPB countered with a 10-2 run of its own to rebuild its lead, but the Rams responded again and went up by two with 1:54 left before the half. A three-pointer from UTPB's Vinnie Abbondola with 40 seconds left proved to be the difference in the half, with the Falcons heading into the locker room up by one.
Angelo State started the second half on an 8-2 run, holding their largest lead with 17:56 left to play. A 9-2 run from the Falcons gave them some breathing room, however, with just over 12 minutes left to play in the game. ASU didn't let the lead grow, tying the game back up at 60 with under 10 minutes to go.
The rest of the half was a tense, back-and-forth affair, with neither team gaining more than a three-point advantage. With just over a minute left to play, Brandon Williams got the ball inside for a dunk that put the Rams back on top, but it would be their last lead of the day. The Falcons' Sammy Allen drew a foul on the next trip down the floor and hit both the free throws to go up 73-72, where the game would end.
The Rams will be back at home for their next two matchups, facing Westnern New Mexico at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center before facing Eastern New Mexico at 4 p.m. in the Junell Center.
