Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - On Saturday night at the Joel Coliseum Annex the Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team looked like a completely different team in comparison to the unit that dropped a 75-63 decision to Howard on Jan. 17 in Washington, D.C. as WSSU jumped out to an early advantage and never looked back en route to earning a 62-55 victory and a season split with the Bison of Howard University.

Junior guard Brian Fisher wasted no time in helping the Rams dispatch the Bison as he hit a layup and back-to-back three-point field goals as he scored eight of WSSU's points during a 10-1 run over the first three minutes of the contest that put WSSU firmly in control.

Building on the pace set by Fisher, and a first-half offensive performance that saw WSSU hit 13 of their 26 field goal attempts in the period, WSSU closed the game's first 20 minutes with a 31-25 advantage headed into the locker room at halftime.

Second half action belonged squarely to the Rams as seldom-used freshman guard Jamarcus McClinton took over the game's final 20 minutes of play as he scored 12 of his 14 points in the game's final period en route to helping propel WSSU to the victory.

McClinton, a 6-3 freshman from Chester, S.C. who had only appeared in 13 of the Rams' 22 games headed into the contest, and a player who had not recorded any offensive statistics in nine of the Rams' last 10 games, exploded for a career-high 14 points in a career-high 27 minutes of action as he and his WSSU teammates improved to 5-2 in games when holding the halftime lead.

Joining McClinton in double figures, Brian Fisher added a team-high 15 points and Jamal Durham chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds in the victory.

Eugene Myatt and Adam Walker led the Bison with 15 points each in a losing effort. Both Myatt and Walker tallied four rebounds in the loss as well.

With the victory, WSSU improves to 7-16 overall on the season. The loss drops Howard to 7-17 on the season (5-5 MEAC) and snaps HU's four-game win streak.

The WSSU men's basketball team returns to action on Monday, Feb. 16, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. when they play host to the Pirates of Hampton University at the Joel Coliseum Annex.

For additional information on WSSU men's basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at WSSURams.com.