SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State basketball team stopped a two-game losing streak, beating Midwestern State 94-82 Thursday night in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center.
The Rams (7-2, 1-1 LSC) had a great shooting night, hitting better than 57 percent from the field and 63 percent from behind the arc.
ASU was hot to start the game, getting early three-pointers from Will Adler and Antonio Singleton as well as a bucket from Brandon Williams to jump out to an early 10-2 lead. The early three-pointers set the tone for the night as the Rams hit a season high ___ shots from behind the arc.
The Mustangs fought their way back into the game, however, cutting the deficit to just two points with 14:44 left to play in the first half and then down to one with just under ten minutes left in the opening half.
Adler hit another three-pointer on the next ASU possession, and James Kirksey and Ja'Michael Brown followed with made shots from downtown of their own to bring the Ram lead back to eight points.
Two minutes later, Singleton hit from deep again to give Angelo State its first double-digit lead of the night, and it would only grow from there. The Rams then embarked on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes, going up by 20 points after a three-pointer from Kiair Crouch.
MSU scored the final eight points of the half, but the two teams went into the locker room with ASU leading 47-35.
The Rams held onto their double-digit lead to start the second half until the 16:23 mark when the Mustangs finally cut it down to eight. MSU kept it close for the next four minutes until Brown drove through the lane and drew a foul, sparking a five-point ASU run that put the Rams back on top by 13 with 11:42 remaining.
Angelo State traded buckets with Midwestern State for most of the rest of the game, never letting the lead get lower than eight points.
The widest the lead got in the second half came with just over five minutes left to play as Deron Mims hit a jumper to put the Rams up by 15.
The Mustangs pressed late as they attempted a late comeback, and Angelo State broke it with several athletic plays, including a ferocious dunk from Singleton with two minutes left to play, and ASU closed out the win, 94-82.
Angelo State will play at home once more this weekend, taking on Cameron at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center. The game has been designated faculty appreciation as well as Greek night. All Angelo State faculty and staff and their immediate families will be admitted into the game for free and the fraternities and sororities on campus will be recognized at halftime of the game.
ASU athletics is also running a donation drive for Hurricane Harvey victims at the game, and fans who donate an article of clothing will be admitted to the game for free.
