SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State men's basketball team upset No. 6 UT – Permian Basin, 84-83, in a Saturday evening thriller in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center.
Will Adler led the charge with a team high 20 points, as the Rams improved to 12-4 overall and 4-3 in the Lone Star Conference. Four other Rams, Kiair Crouch (14), Antonio Singleton (11), Davion Cole-Johnson (11) and Daron Mims (11), also joined Alder in double-digit territory. The Angelo State bench also played a major role in the victory as it out-scored the Falcons 20-12 on the night. The team hit 42.9 percent from short-range, 45.5 percent from beyond the arch and 70.3 percent from the charity stripe. James Kirksey headed the team in boards with eight, while Crouch and Cole-Johnson also led the defense with two steals each. With the loss, No. 6 UTPB falls to 14-2, 6-1 LSC.
"I think our team is a resilient group and I am proud of our guys for coming out and battling against the No. 6 team in the country to come away with the win after the loss on Thursday," commented ASU Head Coach Cinco Boone. "I feel like we are a locomotive train that just gains speed and tonight's win got us started."
Though the Falcons were the first to score in the game with a short jumper, Cole-Johnson immediately set the tone for the Rams with a three-ball in response. UTPB would only climb to a three-point lead after this, before a pair of free throws from Singleton at the 13:54 mark place the Rams out in front for the final time. UTPB would respond bringing the score to an even 14, but another deep shot from Adler kicked off an 8-1 run that would give the team a nine point lead with 10:42 left in the half.
A trip to the stripe by Ran Tut with 4:07 on the cock would then result in ASU's largest lead of the half with an 11-point advantage (38-27). The Falcons would cut the lead to four (40-36) with 1:49 on the clock. Crouch would close out the half for the two teams sinking a pair of free throws that would send the Rams into the locker-room with a 42-36 lead.
Angelo State continue to build back up its lead, as it opened the second half going ahead by 11 (55-44) with a Williams jumper from the paint at the 15:44 mark. However, the Falcons would respond as it cut the lead to two nailing a 3-pointer with 13:15 left in the game. Playing a big role throughout the second half with his stellar all around play, William Tchiengang put a halt to the UTPB run as he drew the foul and added one to the board for the Ram. He would later stroke a jumper from inside the box with 8:26 on the clock to push the team back up by five (65-60).
With 6:40 left in the game UT- Permian Basin battled to bring the game back to an even 67. This would be the first time since the first half that the game was tied. Just over a minute later (5:43) Adler sank his sixth 3-pointer of the game to regain control of the lead. The Rams then maintained it until, with :03 second left in the game, a foul sent the Falcons second leading scorer to the line for three shots to send the game into overtime. With the pressure of the Rams' fans upon him the UTPB guard, James McPherson, would only make two of the necessary three foul shots securing the upset for Angelo State.
The Rams will now hit the road for a tour of New Mexico's LSC members. ASU will first make a stop in Silver City to take on the Mustangs of Western New Mexico on Thursday, January 18 at 8:30 p.m. CDT. It will then head back east to face the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds on Saturday, January 20 at 5 p.m. CDT.
