Dec. 21, 2007

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The  Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (0-9) found a lump of coal a the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum as the team took a 84-40 loss to the local rival Wake Forest Demon Deacons (11-2), Friday evening. The loss was the toughest of the season for the Lady Rams as the 44-point difference was the largest deficit of the season for the Lady Rams and Wake Forest's 84 points was a season-high for WSSU opponents. 

Despite the final score, the Lady Rams played one of their better defensive games of the season forcing a number of Wake Forest turnovers, but the squad could not overcome some poor shooting and a much taller Wake Forest team that shot 47% from the field and 50% from the three-point line in the game. Freshman guard Nikki Kee would lead the WSSU effort with 11 points in the game. She was the only Lady Ram player to reach double-digit scoring in the loss. Freshman center Nora Campbell scored a career-high nine points in the loss.  Freshman center Vontisha Woods led the WSSU rebounding effort with nine rebounds in the loss.

The first half was a tough one for the Lady Rams as the squad got off to a solid start, but some offensive struggles, combined with a hot shooting Wake Forest squad left the Lady Rams trailing 44-15 at halftime. The Lady Rams used some pressure defense to keep things close in the early going, holding their Atlantic Coast Conference foes within striking distance, 10-4 with 14:56 left. However, the effort would not last with the Lady Rams struggling to find points for the remainder of the half, while allowing the Demon Deacons to go on multiple runs in the remainder of the half. The most damaging was a 22-4 run midway through the half that left the Lady Rams trailing, 33-8 with just over seven minutes left to play. Down the stretch of the half, the Lady Rams would turn up their offense efforts scoring eight points in the final seven minutes of play and finished the half trailing 44-15. The 15-point first half effort ties a season-low for points in a half for the Lady Rams, matching the team's effort against Elon. 

The Lady Rams' struggles continued in the first half with Wake Forest opening the half with an 11-0 run and mounting their largest lead of the game to that point, 55-15 with just over 16 minutes left to play. A Woods free throw followed by a lay-up by freshman guard Montague Austin would give the Lady Rams a bit of life, but was not enough with the Demon Deacons scoring the next five points and remaining in control of the game. Things would get no better for the Lady Rams, who went scoreless for the next five minutes and falling behind 69-20. Kee would end the drought hitting a free throw with 10:24 left to play.

Down the stretch of the game, the Lady Rams found some life with Kee hitting a three-pointer at the 10:19 mark that was the Lady Rams' first field goal since the 14:56 mark. Wake Forest would mount it's largest lead of the game, 48 points with 3:58 left in the game.

With the loss, the Lady Rams fall to 0-9 to start the season and will break for the Christmas holidays before returning to action for a match-up with Alabama State at the C.E. Gaines Center on the campus of Winston-Salem State University.