The Angelo State men's basketball team will return to Lone Star Conference action this week as the Rams host their first games of 2022, taking on Midwestern State and DBU at Stephens Arena in the Junell Center starting on Thursday.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
In the only contest last week, ASU held on to a road win against UT Permian Basin in the final nonconference game of the season, winning 80-78. Five Rams finished in double figures in points with Paul Williams leading the way with 15 points on the night. Devaughn Thomas nearly had a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.
 
ANGELO STATE RAMS (10-3, 0-1 LSC) vs. MIDWESTERN STATE (5-10, 1-3 LSC)
Thursday, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. CST – San Angelo, Texas – Stephens Arena, Junell Center
Live Video: lonestarconferencenetwork.com/asu
Live Stats: angelostats.com
SERIES HISTORY:
All-Time Series: MSU leads the all-time series 49-33.
Last Meeting: Feb. 20, 2021: MSU, 84-75 – Wichita Falls, Texas
While the Mustangs hold the advantage in the all-time series, the Rams have found success against MSU in recent years, winning 10 of the last 16 matchups. MSU is currently riding a two-game win streak over the Rams with ASU last winning during the 2018-19 campaign, taking a 91-64 victory on the road.
 
SCOUTING MIDWESTERN STATE:
The Mustangs sit towards the bottom in the standings in overall record, going 5-10 to this point in the season while holding a 1-3 conference record. Against LSC opponents, MSU picked up some non-conference wins over Cameron and UAFS while defeating St. Edward's 60-50 for their first conference win of the season. The Mustangs have lost five of their last six contests, most recently losing to St. Mary's 59-55 at home last Saturday.
 
MSU holds the lowest-scoring offense in the LSC, averaging 67.1 points per game, and the lowest field goal percentage at .396, while the defense is allowing 71.3 points per game. The Mustangs have succeeded under the basket, holding the third-highest rebounding average in the conference with 39.4 boards per game.
 
Jermane Carter leads MSU in scoring with 15.4 points per game followed by Terell Wilson with 12.7 points. Jalin Brown leads in rebounds with an average of 7.1 while Carter is right behind with 6.1 rebounds per game. Wilson also leads the team in assists, totaling 40 on the year.
 
 
ANGELO STATE RAMS (10-3, 0-1 LSC) vs. DBU (8-6, 2-1 LSC)
Saturday, Jan. 15, 4 p.m. CST – San Angelo, Texas – Stephens Arena, Junell Center
Live Video: lonestarconferencenetwork.com/asu
Live Stats: angelostats.com
SERIES HISTORY:
All-Time Series: The Patriots lead the all-time series 3-0.
Last Meeting: Dec. 12, 2021: DBU, 93-86 – Dallas, Texas
While the history between these two teams is short, DBU has won all three matchups so far, including an 84-82 overtime win in the first-ever meeting.
 
SCOUTING DBU:
DBU enters the weekend with an 8-6 overall record, going 2-1 in conference play. The Patriots will take on UTPB on Thursday prior to Saturday's matchup against the Rams. DBU is currently riding a two-game win streak after defeating both St. Edward's and St. Mary's last week. The Patriots also opened the season with a win over No. 4 ranked Colorado Mesa, winning 63-56.
 
The Patriots sit in the middle of the conference in both scoring and defense, totaling 72.6 points per game while allowing 69.6 points on the other side. As a team, they are shooting 45.2 percent from the field, including a 36 percent mark from three-point range. Rebounding has been an issue for the Patriots who rank at the bottom of the LSC in rebounds per game with 29.9 while allowing the second-most rebounds by opponents at 36.
 
For DBU, three players are averaging double-figures in points with Austin Garner leading with 11.1 points per game followed by Ricky Lujan and Carson Hughes with 10.9 and 10.7 points respectively. Julian Miranda leads the team in assists with 48 and is fourth in the LSC in assist to turnover ratio.
 
QUICK HITS:
-The Rams are the highest-scoring offense in the Lone Star, averaging 81.1 points per game.
-Leading the conference, ASU ranks 17^th in the country in steals per game with 9.92.
-ASU is the second-best rebounding team in the conference with an average of 39.7 rebounds.
-The Rams have tallied the fourth-most blocked shots in the LSC with 45 on the year.
-Lathaniel Bastian is the top rebounder for ASU with an average of 7.8 rebounds per game which is the third-highest average in the conference.
-Tyrell Carrol ranks fifth in the LSC in assists per game with 4.5.
-Bastian is second in the conference in blocked shots with 23 while Carroll is first in steals with 33.
-Dante Moses leads the Rams in scoring with 12.7 points per game followed by Carroll with 12.6 points and Bastian with 12 points per game.