Jan. 17, 2011

Box Score

LINCOLN, PA - The Winston-Salem State Rams (11-2, 5-1 CIAA) used a big second half effort to take a big 74-58 win over the Lincoln Lions (1-11, 0-5 CIAA), Monday evening. Though the Rams led the entire game, the win was anything but easy as the Rams fought off several attempts to get the game by the Lions.

"It was a game that we had to grind out. It wasn't as smooth as I would have liked," WSSU men's basketball head coach Bobby Collins said. "But at this time of year, it's all about winning and advancing, and getting better in the conference."

The Rams had a solid overall effort, shooting 44.4% from the floor while holding the Lions to shooting 33.9% from the field and forcing 15 Lincoln turnovers. Redshirt-senior guard Shelton Carter continued his strong play with a double-double 24 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Junior guard Lamar Monger added 15 points while fellow senior guard Andrew Jackson added 11 points. Sophomore guard Marcus Wells had a great night with five assists and only one turnover.

The Rams opened the game with a great first half effort, controlling the game from the very beginning. It was a 7-0 WSSU run that put the Rams on top early, but the Rams' lead was cut down to one point 7-6 with 15:06 left in the half. The Rams would build an eight-point lead twice until a WSSU run, capped by a lay-up by WSSU senior forward Corey Morris, gave the team an 11-point lead with 1:29 left in the first half. The Rams would hold on to take the 34-24 lead into the locker room at the half.

The second half was a hard-fought affair with the Rams holding off an early 8-0 run by the Lions that cut the WSSU lead down to two points, 36-34 with 17:22 left to play. The Rams would answer the challenge with a 9-5 run that pushed their lead to six points, 47-41 with 13:17 left to play. The Rams would face another challenge when the Lions cut the WSSU lead down to one point, 47-46 with just over 12 minutes left to play. With the game on the line, the Rams made their biggest run of the night when the team answered with a 13-4 run to put the game away, 60-49 with 6:17 left to play. Once in control, the Rams never looked back, pushing their lead to 20 points, 71-51 with 2:08 left to play before ending the night with the 74-58 win.

The Rams will return home for the next competition as the team hosts the Saint Paul's Tigers, Thursday evening. 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.