Nov. 19, 2010

Box Score

SALISBURY, NC - The Winston-Salem State Rams (1-0) got the season started in the right way with a hard-fought 72-62 win over the Catawba Indians (1-2) on the opening day of the Salisbury Roundball Classic. In a game that could have easily ended differently, the Rams showed some determination and powered past the challenge for the victory.

"The year is going to be like this, we're going to have to ground out some games," WSSU head coach Bobby Collins said. "When we got down, we didn't break. I think that we showed some character tonight."

It was the WSSU bench that powered the Rams to the win as junior guard Lamar Monger scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Rams to the win. Monger led a quartet of Rams who reached double-digit scoring in the game as senior guard Andrew Jackson added 16 points while senior center Paul Davis added a double-double 15 points and 10 rebounds, and senior guard Shelton Carter added 10 points. Senior forward McIntoche Alcius led the WSSU rebounding effort with a career-high 11 rebounds in the game.

"It was because of our depth that we wore this team down tonight. That's the reason why we won," Collins added. "Our bench came through. This was the kind of game that would keep us confident and keep us humble."

The Rams got things going early as a hot shooting effort pushed the team to an early 16-6 lead with just under 14 minutes left to play. However, the Rams soon found themselves fighting to hold on to their lead as a 21-10 run by the Indians left the Rams trailing 27-26 with just over five minutes left in the half. Down the final stretch, the Rams were able to turn up their defense and hold the Indians to just one point while taking a 32-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half, the Rams found themselves battling once again as some offensive struggles, along with a strong effort by the Indians left the Rams trailing by a score of 46-39 with 11:48 left to play. The Rams' struggles continued as the team continued to trail 53-47 with 6:26 left to play. It was in the game's final minutes that the team made its stand. A Monger jumper at the 4:23 mark sparked a 12-1 run that put the team in charge of the game, 65-57 with just over a minute left to play. Over the course of the final 4:45, the Rams allowed just one field goal to end the night with the 72-62 win.

With the win, the Rams record their first season-opening win since 2002. The Rams will return to action tomorrow afternoon when the team takes on the Pfeiffer Falcons on the second day of the Salisbury Roundball Classic. 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.