COMMERCE – The Angelo State men's basketball team led for much of Thursday's matchup with Texas A&M-Commerce, but could not score in the final three minutes of the game in an 81-72 loss.

The Rams (5-2, 0-1 LSC) got a jumper from Kiair Crouch with 3:36 left in the game to go up by eight points, but it would be their last basket of the game as the Lions scored 17 straight points to close out the win.

TAMUC  started the game about as hot from the field as they ended it, hitting a pair of early three-pointers and holding a 16-4 lead at the game's first media timeout. The Lions built the lead to as many as 18 points before the Rams began clawing their way back in.

ASU cut the lead back to single digits quickly, as Paul Williams collected a steal and hit a fastbreak jumper in the paint. They then got it down to just a two-point gap on a three-pointer from Antonio Singleton with 6:22 left in the opening half and took the lead on a put-back dunk less than two minutes later.

The Rams kept pushing and got a jumper from Crouch to at the end of the half to go into the locker room up by five.

Angelo State held onto the momentum out of the break and controlled the game for much of the second half getting up by double-digits for the first time on a layup from Josh Boutte with 10:36 left to play.

The gap was still 10 points as late as the 5:14 mark before the Lions started their rally, coming all the way back for the win in the first Lone Star Conference game of the season.

The Rams will now move on to Stephenville, where the will try to win in Wisdom Gym at 4 p.m. on Saturday against the Texans.