Rams Take Tough 75-47 Loss to Shaw at NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Atlantic Regional Quarterfinal
March 13, 2011
WEST LIBERTY, WV - The Winston-Salem State Rams (19-8) just couldn't find the answers in a tough 75-47 loss to the Shaw Bears (23-8), Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Atlantic Regional tournament. The Rams gave a solid overall effort, but the team struggled mightily in the second half to take the tough loss. Though the Rams shot a solid 41.7% from the field in the game, but the Rams shot 25% from the field in the second half with just six field goals made in the half and were outscored 47-23 to take the season-ending loss.
The WSSU offense struggled in the game as the Rams managed just 47 points. As a team, the Rams totaled just 16 field goals. Making matters worse for the Rams were the team's 21 turnovers with just two assists in the tough loss. WSSU senior guard Andrew Jackson had the best overall day for the Rams with a team-high 14 points. Redshirt-senior guard Shelton Carter added 12 points. The senior forward tandem of Paul Davis and McIntoche Alcius led the rebounding effort for the Rams with five rebounds each.
The game was a close battle early with the Rams holding the Bears to within four points, 15-11 with 9:23 left in the first half. From there, the Rams would run into some struggles when the Bears ran off 7-1 run to put the Rams down 22-12 with just under seven minutes left to play. The Rams would answer, however, with an 8-0 run to cut the WSSU deficit down to just two points. Down the stretch of the half, the Rams would keep the Bears within reach and took a 28-24 score into the locker room at halftime.
The second half was a struggle for the Rams as the team could not match up against the Shaw defense. The Rams were able to keep things close early in the half as a jumper by redshirt-sophomore forward Stephon Platt kept the Rams within five points, 33-28 with 15:29 left to play. It was midway through the half when things got tough for the Rams when the Bears went on a big run to push their lead to 20 points, 63-43 with just under five minutes left to play. From there, the WSSU deficit grew to as many as 28 points as the Rams continued to fight, but could find no answers for the Bears' relentless attack.
Though the Rams ended the 2010-11 season with back-to-back losses, the season was still a great one for Winston-Salem State basketball as the Rams posted a 19-8 overall record and claimed a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southern Division title. The season also capped great careers for six players, including seniors Alcius, Davis and Corey Morris who all have spent four seasons at Winston-Salem State. For more information on Rams basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.