SAN ANGELO – The Tarleton Texan men's basketball team will close the regular season on the road Saturday, Feb. 27 when it travels to San Angelo for an 8 p.m. game against Angelo State.
The Texans, who have the No. 2 field goal percentage defense and the No. 3 scoring defense in the country, are 21-5 and 9-2 in the Lone Star Conference South Division. A win would tie the Texans with Midwestern State for a South Division title.
Tarleton is ranked No. 6 in the South Central Region and has already clinched the second seed in the LSC Championship Tournament next week in Bartlesville, Okla. However, the win and tie for the South title would give head coach Lonn Reisman his fifth LSC division title since the 2001-02 campaign.
Tarleton hosted Angelo State in the first South Division contest of the year, and the Texans won 78-62 in Stephenville. Tarleton shot 48 percent from the floor while holding the Rams to 30.2 percent, including a 17.4 percent (4-23) from the three-point arc.
Jeremiah Wilson led the Texans with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Wale Ogunoye, Effran Bryant and Donta Smith each had 11 points. Devon Hills added 10 points for the Texans who outscored the Rams 34-26 in the paint and 17-8 off the bench. LaMarshall Corbett led ASU with 25 points while Shavar Burch had 12. Derrick Webster and Johnny Barnes had seven rebounds apiece to lead the visitors.
Tarleton has won four straight and 16 of its last 19 contests. Hills leads the squad with 13.2 points per game while Bryant (11.3), Corin Henry (10.8) and Wilson (10.7) are also averaging in double figures. Wilson leads the squad with 8.3 rebounds per game with 41 blocks. Smith is second with 6.7 rebounds per game. Henry leads the team with 110 assists and 43 steals.
In division action, Hills is averaging 15.2 points per outing and Bryant 13.9. Smith is averaging 7.1 rebounds per contest and Wilson 7.0.
The Texans are averaging .445 from the floor, .362 from the arc and .668 from the charity stripe while holding opponents to .370 from the field, .316 from the arc and .646 from the line. Tarleton is outrebounding foes 37.4 to 32.0 and outscoring them 70.6 to 56.3.
In South play, the Texans are averaging .476 from the floor and .360 from the arc while opponents are shooting .381 and .313. Tarleton is outscoring South foes 70.5 to 56.7 and outrebounding them 35.3 to 29.9.
The Rams enter Saturday's contest locked in third place in the South with a 7-4 record. ASU is 16-10 overall and is coming off a 105-100 loss at Midwestern State in overtime on Wednesday. The Rams led by three with 39 seconds left in regulation, but ASU turned the ball over twice in the final 16 seconds and MSU tied the game and won in the extra session.
ASU is led by Corbett with 24.5 points per game while Stavon Williams (14.2) and Barnes (11.7) are also averaging in double digits. Barnes leads the team with 9.1 rebounds per game while Burch is second with 5.8 points per game.
The Rams are averaging .459 from the field, .350 from the arc and .707 from the line while opponents are shooting .416 from the floor, .318 from the arc and .698 from the stripe. ASU is outscoring foes 81.7 to 74.6 and outrebounding them 39.7 to 36.3.
The all-time series began in 1965, and the Texans trail the series, 33-23. The two teams split last season, and under Reisman, the Texans are 21-9 against the Rams in the last 22 seasons. Tarleton is 9-6 under Reisman in San Angelo.
The game will be broadcast on KSTV 93.1 FM. Fans can watch live stats via the Angelo State website.
