SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State men's basketball kicked off their final homestand of the season in emphatic style, defeating the nation's fifth-ranked team, DBU, 68-61 on Thursday evening inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena.

The win is the Rams' second over a ranked team this season; they defeated then-No. 22 Fort Lewis on November 9^th.

This is the highest-ranked opponent that the Rams have defeated in over a decade, dating back to January 7^th, 2015, when they defeated third-ranked Tarleton State 78-60.

The Rams forced the Patriots into 15 turnovers and controlled the boards, out-rebounding the visitors 51-43. The 51 rebounds are a single-game high for the Rams this season.

The Rams also busted out of their slump from downtown, going 7-for-17 from deep, good enough for a 41.2 three-point percentage.

Four Rams scored in double figures, led by Kaden Evans' 18 points. He shot 7-for-12 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range. Evans turned in an all-around performance, grabbing eight rebounds, assisting five times, and securing five steals.

Carvell Teasett scored 14 points, making three three-pointers. He grabbed six rebounds and crossed the 1,000-point threshold for his career with his second made three-pointer of the night.

Kendrick Delahoussaye had 12 points and six rebounds. Although he only made two field goals, he was perfect on eight attempts from the free-throw line.

Sterling Gaston-Chapman added ten points and five rebounds. DJ Freeman fell shy of a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He also blocked three shots, including an emphatic two-handed swat of Ricky Lujan with under a minute left that was a four-point swing in the Rams' favor.

This is head coach Vinay Patel's fourth win over a ranked opponent at Angelo State, and he improves to 32-4 inside the Junell Center—Stephens Arena. This is his highest-ranked win, besting the Rams' defeat of No. 6 West Liberty last season.

The Rams improve to 15-11 on the season and 11-9 in LSC play. They close out their weekend on Saturday against UT Tyler, who is coming off a loss against UT Permian Basin in Odessa.