SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State men's basketball team will attempt to extend its two-game winning streak this week as the Rams face off against Lubbock Christian, playing both at home and on the road.
 
The Rams will host Thursday's game against the Chaps, playing at Stephens Arena with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m., while Saturday's game will be at Lubbock, Texas with a 4 p.m., start.
 
LAST WEEK:                                                                                                                                                                     
ASU picked up two wins last time out on the court, sweeping the series against Oklahoma Christian with an 80-66 victory in game one before scoring a season-high in game two, winning 92-72. Sam Moore led the Rams offensively, scoring 15 points in game one before tallying a season-high 19 points in game two. Paul Williams also scored a season-high, totaling 20 points, all coming in the second half.
 
ANGELO STATE (3-3, 3-3 LSC) vs. Lubbock Christian (4-0, 4-0 LSC)
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ALL-TIME SERIES: ASU leads 21-5, Last Meeting: ASU, 97-92, LSC Tournament
The Rams have dominated the series since their first meeting against Lubbock Christian during the 1970-71 season, winning 21 of the 26 meetings. Angelo State has won four straight against the Chaps with the last loss coming in a non-conference game back in the 2017-18 season.
 
SCOUTING LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN:
Defense has led the Chaps to an early 4-0 record, ranking second in the league in points given up as opponents are averaging just 65.8 points per game. LCU is holding opponents to the fifth-worst shooting percentage in the conference at .422 and has the second-best assist to turnover ratio at plus-1.32. Offensively, the Chaps rank in the middle of the pack at seventh in points scored with an average of 79.8. LCU has been efficient from the floor, shooting 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range in the first four games, ranking second and third respectively in those categories. Lubbock Christian has also performed strongly underneath the basket, ranking third in rebounds while outrebounding opponents by an average of 11. Turnovers have been an issue for the Chaps, averaging 14 a game while holding a turnover margin of minus-1.00.
 
Parker Hicks leads Lubbock Christian with 18.8 points per game which ranks 10^th overall in the Lone Star Conference. Behind him, Lloyd Daniels is averaging 16 points and Rowan Mackenzie is adding another 13 points per game. Hicks also leads in rebounds, averaging 7.5 boards per game. Parker and Daniels both rank in the top 10 in the league in field goal percentage, ranking third and seventh respectively. LCU's Cameron Copley is the top passer in the LSC, averaging eight assists per game with a total of 32 in four games.
 
HOME STREAK:
With the opening game of the series against LCU in San Angelo, the Rams prepare for their fifth game in a row at Stephens Arena. That number would have been more if ASU could have played two home games against Western New Mexico that were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. The Rams are 3-1 in their home stretch and will play their first road game since Dec. 12 when they travel to Lubbock on Saturday.
 
MOVING UP OFFENSIVELY:
With a strong performance against Oklahoma Christian, the Rams jumped to the fifth spot offensively in the conference, averaging 80.5 points per game. ASU is fourth in the LSC in field goal percentage at .478. Three players are averaging double-digits in points with Sam Baker leading the way with 13.7 points per game. Behind him is Williams at 11.8 and Moore at 10.7.
 
LEADING ON THE COURT:
Williams has proven his experience and leadership on the court so far this season. Along with his scoring, Williams ranks ninth in the conference in assists while holding the third-highest assist to turnover ratio at plus-2.6.
 
A FORCE AT THE RIM:
Rebounding has been an early struggle for the Rams but against the Eagles of OCU, Lavaris Duncan put together back-to-back double-digit performances on the boards, collecting 10 and 12 rebounds respectively in both games. He leads the squad in rebounding average at 6.0.
 
THE DEVAUGHN THOMAS FILE:
Making an immediate impact in his first season with the Rams, Devaughn Thomas has contributed on both sides of the ball, averaging just under eight points per game while ranking second in rebounds at 4.5 per game. He has also tallied 11 assists on the season.