SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State men's basketball team will head to Allen, Texas, this weekend to take part in the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament, facing No. 15 Tarleton State in the first round at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The Rams finished the regular season with a 15-11 overall record and a 7-11 showing in the LSC, earning the No. 7 seed for the conference tournament.

Tarleton State lost its last three games of the regular season, giving them a 22-6 overall record and a 13-5 record in conference play. The Texans finished No. 2 in the LSC for the season.

ASU lost both matchups with TSU during the regular season, but fared much better in the second matchup in Stephenville, falling just short in an upset bid against the Texans. The Rams hold the advantage in the overall series between the two teams, winning 39 of the 77 matchups. In the past three years, the two teams have faced off eight times in the last three seasons, including last year in the LSC tournament when the Rams won 81-73.

In that second matchup, the Rams held the Texans to just 35 percent shooting from the field. On the season, ASU has the second best field goal percentage defense in the nation, holding opponents to a 38.9 shooting percentage on the season. Angelo State also ranks in the top 10 nationally in blocked shots per game, defensive rebounds per game, three-point field goal defense and total blocks.

Leading the Ram defense is Prince Foster, Thomas Tshikaya and DeVonte' Pratt. Foster and Pratt are tied for the team lead in steals with 27 each on the year, while Tshikaya is the team's leading rebounder with more than eight per game and has chipped in a team-second 29 blocks as well. Senior Justin Hollins is the ASU leader in blocked shots this season with 33.

Quay King has helped out with 21 steals of his own on the defensive end, and Brandon Williams has racked up 18 blocks on the year as well.

King is the ASU offensive leader, averaging 18.9 points per game for the season. The Atlanta native is second in the LSC in points per game and No. 8 in the nation in three-point field goals per game with 3.68.

Three other Rams averaged double figures throughout the regular season, including Foster, Pratt and Tshikaya. Foster is shooting almost 55 percent from the field on the year and averaging the second most points on the team with 12.2 per game. The Miami native has recently seen time in the point guard role, and is averaging the most assists on the team with 3.8 per game.

With 11.2 points per game, Pratt ranks just behind Foster. Tshikaya rounds out the group of double-digit scorers with exactly 10 points per game on the season, and the senior is also the Rams' double-double leader with three this year.

Several other Rams have provided the Rams with offensive production, including Brandon Williams, who is just shy of averaging double figures with 9,8 points per game. The junior forward has come on late in the season, scoring more than 15 points in four of the last six games.

Michael Thomas has started in 13 games for Angelo State this season and is averaging 4.4 points per game. Right behind Thomas is Napoleon Onyeje with 3.7 points per game, and the Pflugerville native is the second best assist man on the team with 2.7 per game as well. Chase Riley and Shaquan Rhoades are both averaging 3.5 points per game this year off the bench, and Devaughn Jenkins adds in 2.7 as well.

The Texans are led by Ridell Camidge, who has started all 28 games for the team and is averaging exactly 15 points per game. TSU also has the LSC field goal percentage leader in Romond Jenkins, who is shooting 63.4 percent on the year and averaging 12.5 points per game. Overall, the Texans have three players who average in double figures and another three who average just over nine points per game.

The winner of the game between Angelo State and Tarleton State will face the winner of the game between West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Kingsville in the semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Fans can listen to the game locally on 1260 KKSA with the voice of the Rams and Belles, Jeremy Bryant, on the call.