Final Stats (.pdf)

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Angelo State Rams will have to master the second half of games if they plan on being a player in the second half of the season. The Rams were limited to just six points in the first 10 minutes after halftime and another late rally fell short in a 71-64 loss to Northeastern State at Dobbins Field House late Monday night.

Angelo State's season-opening drought stretched to six games, the second-most losses to start a season in program history, despite a pair of 20-point performances from Ram (0-6) headliners LaMarshall Corbett (24) and Ridge McKeither (21). McKeither added 10 rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season, but as a team the Rams were outworked on the offensive glass (12-6) and committed four more turnovers which led to 23 points by the Riverhawks (4-5).

Angelo State took a 37-34 advantage into the break as both Corbett and McKeither reached double figures in the first half. Corbett helped the Rams shoot a respectable 43.3 percent (13-of-30) in the opening half with a 5-for-10 effort from the field and 50 percent mark from beyond the arc. Things turned for the worst from there.

The Rams committed six turnovers and hit 3-of-12 shot attempts in the first 10 minutes after halftime as the Riverhawks turned the deficit into a 10-point advantage. A lay-up by Richard Thomas and a three-pointer by Steve Moore seemed to snap ASU out of its scoring funk, but four more turnovers in the next five minutes helped keep the lead at double digits, 60-50, with 4:29 to play.

As they had in the first six games, Angelo State made a charge at the end and pulled within one point, 63-62, after a pair of free throws by McKeither with 1:27 left in the contest. NSU's Antoine Branch answered with a three-pointer and the Riverhawks held the Rams without a score on their next possession before it turned into a foul-and-hope-for-a-miss endeavor.

Four players reached double figures in scoring for the Riverhawks, led by Jermaine Bransford with 19 on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Branch finished the contest with 17, Dominique Gaines contributed 16, and Justin Johnson scored 10.

Angelo State has lost its first six games by a slim margin of 28 total points, an average of 4.6 per contest. Two of ASU's losses were overtime games in the Junell Center. Angelo State's longest losing streak to start the season was seven games by the 1972-73 team. The six-game skid is the longest by the Rams under head coach Fred Rike.

The Rams and Rambelles return to the Junell Center for more Lone Star Conference cross over action with a double header against Southeastern Oklahoma (Dec. 18) and East Central (Dec. 20) before getting a break for the holidays.

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