Jan. 25, 2010
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In college basketball effort can win you games. That fact was on display on Monday evening at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. as the Rams of Winston-Salem State University used a complete team effort to recover from an early 14-point deficit en route to defeating arch-rival North Carolina A&T, 59-57.
The Rams would strike first as a Corey Morris layup only 15 seconds into the game gave WSSU an early 2-0 lead. The lead however would be fleeting as the Aggies mounted an 18-2 run that silenced the crowd of nearly 6,000 fans in attendance at the Joel Coliseum as North Carolina A&T jumped ahead by 14 points with 15:45 remaining in the first half.
Tavarus Alston would key the Aggies' run as he scored 13 of N.C. A&T's first 18 points as the Rams were faced with the daunting task of trying to recover from a double-digit deficit, something that they had not done all season.
Recover is exactly what the Rams did as they forced 17 first-half North Carolina A&T turnovers and used a well-executed zone defense to put the Aggies on their heels as WSSU held the Aggies to only six more points for the final 16 minutes of the half as Winston-Salem State turned a 14-point deficit into a 10-point halftime advantage.
Head Coach Bobby Collins' bench would prove to be the difference in the first period of play as the WSSU reserves recorded 17 points, led by Andrew Jackson's six first-half points as the Rams closed the half on a 30-6 run to lead 34-24 at the halftime intermission.
“If you were to look at our bench during their opening run we never panicked, even when they were up 14 points. We didn't panic because I knew I had that ace, our bench” WSSU Head Coach Bobby Collins said in postgame interviews.
“I knew that they were going to give me that energy, they [the bench] knew that something positive was going to happen. The Aggies shot the ball well, and I told our guys that it is a game of runs and we can bring them back to us with effort, and that is what the bench gave us” Collins added.
Second half action saw the Aggies mount a run of their own as North Carolina A&T used a 19-7 offensive outburst over the first eight minutes of the second half to regain the lead at 43-41 as WSSU missed 10 of their first 12 field goals in the final period.
The Aggies would hold the same two-point advantage with just over two minutes to play as the Rams stared down a two-point deficit at 50-48 with 123 seconds to play in the contest.
The Rams, down two points with time waning found an unlikely hero as junior forward Shelton Carter, who had missed all five of his field goals in the contest, connected on a deep three-pointer that put the Rams up for good at 51-50 with 1:45 to play.
A lay-up by Marcus Wells following a Tavarus Alston turnover and free throws from Brian Fisher, Wells and Lamar Monger sealed the victory for the Rams as WSSU earned the 59-57 win.
“I told Shelton to keep shooting. Eventually the shots would fall. Good shooters can't have fear. They have to be able to put the misses behind them and know that the next one will fall. That is what he did” WSSU Head Coach Bobby Collins said.
The victory moves the Rams to 7-10 overall while the Aggies fall to 6-14 on the season with the loss. Winston-Salem State returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. as they travel to Tallahassee, Fla. To face Florida A&M Univeristy.
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.
