Jan. 10, 2011

Box Score

BOWIE, MD - The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (7-5, 2-1 CIAA) three-game win streak ended following a 62-49 loss to the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs (6-3, 2-0 CIAA), Monday evening. Shooting struggles proved costly for the Lady Rams as they struggled to keep the game close and fell short in the final minutes of the game.

The Lady Rams struggled against the tough Bowie State defense, shooting just 31% from the field. The game was an up-and-down affair with both teams struggling to hold on the ball. For the game, the Lady Rams and Lady Bulldogs combined for 39 turnovers. However, it was Bowie State who took advantage of the miscues as the home team scored 14 points off of WSSU turnovers. Both teams also had solid performances off the bench with 24 points each from the reserves. WSSU sophomore guard Jasmine Newkirk led the attack for the Lady Rams with 11 points in the game. Junior guard Taneisha White came off the bench with 10 points and a pair of rebounds. Senior forward Vontisha Woods nearly pulled out the double-double with eight points and a team-high 13 points in the game.

The Lady Rams' struggles started early as Bowie State jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first four minutes. The Lady Rams were able to settle down and made a comeback to eventually take a 12-10 lead at the 13:05 mark. The two teams battled back and forth for the next six minutes of the half with four ties and neither team managing to take more than a two point lead. With 6:37 left in the half, the Lady Bulldogs took a one point lead (19-18) over the Lady Rams. Down the stretch of the half, the Lady Rams struggled to hit shots, allowing a 16-2 run by the Bulldogs and took a 35-20 deficit into the locker room at the half.

The Lady Rams' struggles continued in the second half as the team fell into a 48-27 deficit with 16:27 left to play. A pair of baskets by Woods and White gave team a bit of a spark and cut the team's deficit down to 18 points at the 12:53 mark. Both teams would turn up their defensive efforts at that point with a drought that saw neither team score a field goal until the 8:46 mark. Down the stretch of the half, the Lady Rams managed to make a last ditch effort, cutting their deficit down to 15 points, 56-41 with 5:28 left to play, but in the end, the Lady Rams just didn't have enough left and ended the night with the 62-49 loss.

After being on the road for their last four games, the Lady Rams will finally return home, Thursday to host the Chowan Lady Hawks. For more information on Lady Rams' basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2909 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.