Angelo State used a 21-3 run over the final eight minutes to pull away from Cameron, advancing to the school’s first Lone Star Conference Championship final since 2001.

      Tied at the half, the Rams dominated the Aggies in the second half for a 76-53 semifinal win and will play Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. in the finals against the winner of Tarleton State/Texas A&M-Commerce.

      Cameron, which upset No. 3 seed Midwestern State on Thursday thanks to some hot shooting, started off making its first five 3-pointers but went ice cold in the second half. The season ends for the Aggies at 13-15.

      Angelo State (26-4) shot 62 percent from the floor and hit all but one free throw. Most of the points came in transition, outscoring the Aggies 26-5 in points off turnovers.

      Chris Jones led all scorers with 22 points, while adding seven rebounds and five assists for the Rams, who also got 15 points and four steals from Demario Mayfield. Raijon Kelly had 10 points for ASU, which had all 12 players score at least one field goal.

      Cameron’s Deondre Ray and Jamaal Brantley each had a team-high 13 points for the Aggies, who went 2-of-9 from 3-point land in the second half.

      The Aggies, one of three teams to knock off ASU in conference play this season, had the momentum heading into halftime with the score tied at 30. Cameron led 38-37 with 17:18 to play and managed to keep it relatively close over the next nine minutes, trailing 55-50 with 8:09 left after Cameron Lee hit his only 3-pointer of the game. Lee made six treys with 23 points in the upset win over MSU on Thursday, but had only six points total. 

      But leading by five, the Rams turned up the heat on both ends and went on a 13-2 run before Lee hit one free throw for the Aggies at the 4:49 mark. Cameron, however, would not score another point as ASU would score the game’s final 10 points.

      Angelo State is seeking the school’s first LSC Championship title since 1989 and just the fourth overall.

 

Angelo State Notes

• Angelo State improved to 26-4, which is the most wins in program history
• ASU advanced to the tournament championship game for the seventh time overall and first time since 2001 with the win
• ASU has won three LSC tournament titles (1984, 1988, 1989)
• Angelo State is now 18-24 all-time at the LSC tournament in 28 trips… ASU will play the winner of Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday in the championship.
• The Rams, who lead the nation in field-goal percentage, shot 62 percent from the field (31-50)
• ASU improved to 2-1 against Cameron this season

 
Cameron Notes

• Cameron started the game with a 10-2 run through the first 4:27
• Aggies went 5 of 5 from beyond the arc in the first half for a 30-30 score at half and held ASU to 0 of 7 from range
• Two free throws from Desmond Henry gave Cameron its first lead at 32-30 with 19 minutes left since a 10-8 lead with 14:09 left in the first half
• Jamaal Brantley and Deondre Ray each had 13 points to lead the team
• ASU forced Cameron into 15 turnovers and led 26-5 in points off turnovers
• Cameron finishes the season with a 13-15 record
• Moved to 0-11 this season when shooting lower than the opposition
• The Aggies shot .392 from the field and now are 0-9 when shooting under 44 percent
• Now 10-10 when outshot by the opponent
• CU is 1-2 all-time in the Lone Star Conference Championship against Angelo State