SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State men's basketball team is back home to kick off their longest home stand of the season after a month away from the friendly confines of the Junell Center - Stephens Arena. They host reigning South Central Region champions West Texas A&M on Thursday evening before welcoming in reigning LSC Tournament Champions Eastern New Mexico on Saturday afternoon. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Rams picked up a pair of road wins to open 2025, defeating Western New Mexico and Sul Ross State by double digits. The Rams shot over 50 percent from the field for the weekend while holding the Mustangs and Lobos to 35.7 percent shooting from the field. Sterling Gaston-Chapman averaged 18.5 for the week, shot 45.8 percent, and dished out four assists across the weekend. Shemar Smith scored double figures in both games, while DJ Freeman scored 14 points and eight rebounds against the Lobos. 

EVANS CLOSES IN ON 1K POINTS
Graduate student guard Kaden Evans enters the first home games of 2025 with 980 career points, only 20 off from reaching the 1,000-point milestone. The Kansas City native is a career 39.9 percent shooter from the field and 36.5 percent from three. Evans is just as impactful on defense, with three games this season where he has grabbed four steals. His 209 career steals are third among all active Division II players and 19th among all players in all three NCAA divisions. 

PATEL IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Vinay Patel is 38-13 in LSC play at Angelo State and 20-2 inside the Junell Center—Stephens Arena in LSC competition. Patel is 3-9 against WT and ENMU at Angelo State, with all three wins happening in San Angelo. 

RAMS' DEFENSE
The Rams possess one of the most formidable defenses in the conference and Division II. Opponents score only 63.4 points per game against the Rams, leading the LSC and 11th in the nation. Their opponent's field goal percentage of 38.8 is 11th in the country, and the best in the LSC, and their opponent's shooting mark of 28.8 percent from three is 14th in Division II. 

PERSONAL BESTS THIS SEASON
Seven Rams have recorded a personal best this season.
    • Blessing Adesipe scored nine points against Western New Mexico on January 3 before grabbing six rebounds two days later at Sul Ross. He had a pair of assists and three steals in his home debut against Arlington Baptist on November 19. 
    • Kollin Allbright grabbed his first career rebound in his collegiate debut versus Arlington Baptist on Nov. 19.
    • Darius Brady assisted for the first time in his career versus Arlington Baptist on Nov. 19.
    • Denim Dawson scored 13 points in the Rams' win over Texas A&M International on Dec. 7. He has also recorded three assists twice and blocked a pair of shots against Southern Arkansas on November 30. 
    • Kendrick Delahoussaye scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in the Rams' win over Southern Arkansas on Nov. 30. He assisted six times against No. 10 Colorado Mines on Dec. 20. 
    • Sterling Gaston-Chapman set a new career high in rebounds (12) in the Rams' win over Arlington Baptist on Nov. 19 as he recorded his first career double-double. He scored a career-high 22 points against Sul Ross on January 5. He assisted five         times against Texas A&M-Kingsville on December 5. 
    • Damonze Woods scored 17 points against Cameron on December 16. He grabbed 12 rebounds against Montana State-Billings on Dec. 19.

HOME COOKIN'
The Rams have made the Junell Center-Stephens Arena a fortress under head coach Vinay Patel, accumulating a 27-2 record in Patel's two seasons in San Angelo, good enough for a .931 winning percentage. His first season featured the Rams going 13-0 on their home court; the second season they've been undefeated on their home court across a season. The Rams went 17-0 inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena in 2014-15. 

NEED TO KNOW

• Angelo State averages 70.5 points per game on 46 percent from the field and 37 percent shooting from three. The Rams are shooting 68.1 percent from the charity stripe. 
• The Rams are fifth in the LSC in three-point percentage, shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. They are eighth in three-pointers made per game, with 7.5 makes per contest.
• The Rams average 34.6 rebounds per game, out-rebounding opponents by 1.9 per contest.
• Defensively, the Rams hold opponents to 63.4 points per game on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent from three-point range. 
• Sterling Gaston-Chapman leads the Rams in scoring with 13.4 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game; he also leads the team with two assists per game. 
• Damonze Woods leads the team in blocked shots, while Kaden Evans leads the team with 1.7 steals per game. 

WEST TEXAS A&M
NABC RANK: RV
2024-25 RECORD: 9-4, 4-3 LSC

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• The Buffs are 9-4 on the season and 4-3 in LSC play. After winning their first eight games of the season, they have won only one of their past five games.   
• They score 80.7 points per game on 43.7 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from three. 
• Defensively, opponents score 71.9 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting and only 31.5 percent from three—the Buffs out-rebound opponents by one board per contest.
• Two Buffs average double figures in scoring, led by Ahamed Mohammed's 17.3 points per game. 
• Noah Pagotto scores 15.5 points per game and grabs 5.9 rebounds per game.
• Isaac Ayoubi leads the team with 3.1 assists per game, and Jaylin Sledge leads WT in blocks and steals. 
• The Rams are 23-59 all-time against the Buffs. Last season, the Rams went winless in three contests against WT.

EASTERN NEW MEXICO
NABC RANK: N/A
2024-25 RECORD: 9-4, 4-3 LSC

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• The reigning LSC Tournament Champions, Eastern New Mexico, is 9-4 and 4-3 in LSC play; only one win has come on the road this season. 
• They score 93.1 points per game on 51.6 percent shooting from the field and 33.6 percent from three. 
• Defensively, opponents score 70.1 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting and 33.1 percent from three.
• The Greyhounds out-rebound opponents by 10.6 boards per contest. 
• Six Greyhounds score in double figures, led by Mario Whitley's 13.6 and Jose Murillo's 13.2 points per game. 
• Whitley leads the rebounding effort with 8.9 per contest. 
• Cooper Jackson leads the team with 3.5 assists per game and 3.9 steals per contest. 
• Murillo averages 1.6 blocks per contest. 
• The Rams are 43-42 all-time against the Greyhounds and 2-0 in San Angelo under Patel. Last season, the home team won each game in the regular season before the Greyhounds defeated the Rams in the LSC Tournament.