Men's Basketball | 11/12/2015 9:12:00 AM

ALAMOSA, Colo. (November 12, 2015) – This weekend, Adams State University continues their five-game road trip to begin the 2015-16 season. Adams State will face the Angelo State University Rams on Friday and the second-ranked Tarleton State University Texans on Saturday at the Texan Tip-Off Classic in Stephenville, Texas. The four team tournament is hosted by Tarleton State.

Live coverage will be available for both non-conference games.

Last Time Out
ASU faced the Northern New Mexico College Eagles on Nov. 4^th and came away with a 91-80 exhibition win.  Both D.J. Morgan and Shakir Smith registered 24 points to pace the team. The Grizzlies maintained a double digit lead throughout much of the game before NNMC charged late, cutting the game into single digits for a brief moment in the second half.

New Kids On The Block
In his Adams State debut, Morgan shot 9-of-12 from the field while tracking down 6 rebounds and 3 steals in addition to his 24 points. Joe Bell Austin provided 13 points off the bench as Ante Mioc had a game-high 7 rebounds.

Holding The Edge
In the exhibition win over NNMC, the Grizzlies held the advantage in total rebounds (32-27), assists (17-11), and steals (18-11). Shooting also favored ASU at a 53 percent clip (30-56) as the Eagles shot a respectable 50 percent (28-56).

Facing The Best
Games this weekend will come against tough competition as both opponents are either ranked or receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Preseason Poll. Tarleton earned a No. 2 ranking as Angelo State received votes. Adams State is also slated to host No. 22 Midwestern State on Nov. 21.  Last season the program did not play a ranked non-conference opponent.

About The Rams and Texans
Both the Rams and Texans are members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC).  The Texans went 12-2 in the LSC and 31-4 overall a season ago. Meanwhile, the Rams went 11-3 in the LSC and 28-6 overall. Tarleton and Angelo State finish first and second, respectively, during the regular season but both teams fell in the LSC Tournament to the eventual champion, Texas A&M University-Commerce. Tarleton fell in the semifinals with Angelo State tasting defeat in the finals.

Despite the postseason defeats, both programs still reached the 2014-15 NCAA Division II Basketball Championships. The conference members eventually met in the 3^rd round with Tarleton taking the affair, 66-64. The Texans advanced into the semifinal round where the eventually fell to Indiana (Pa.), 72-68.

Stay Connected
For any updates regarding Adams State athletics stay connected with www.asugrizzlies.com! Updates are also available through the Grizzlies official Twitter (@ASUGrizzlies) and Facebook (/TheAsuGrizzlies) accounts.

Team Posters
Fans, team posters are available online at www.asugrizzlies.com . Navigate to the 'Fan Zone' at the top of the ASU home page to find our 'Team Posters' link. Team posters will be updated and added over the course of the year. Hard copies of posters are also available at the ASU athletic office.