Jan. 6, 2011

Box Score

LAWRENCEVILLE, VA - The Winston-Salem State Rams (6-1) got an early surprise when the team took a 93-84 loss at Saint Paul's (3-4), Tuesday evening. Though the Rams gave a valiant effort to battle back from an early deficit, the WSSU magic ran short in their efforts to rally for a third straight come-from-behind victory.

"We started out lethargic and they [Saint Paul's] did what they were supposed to do," WSSU men's basketball head coach Bobby Collins said. "They came out and built a big lead, but we were able to get back into it, but they made the plays that they needed to make in the end."

The loss came in spite of some solid offensive performances by the Rams who shot 39.7% from the field, had five players reach double-digit scoring, and scored 84 points in the game. The team's defensive effort fell short, however, as the Tigers shot 50.8% from the field and took 35 shots from the free throw line. The Rams had some great individual efforts in the game, led by junior guard Lamar Monger, who totaled 15 points in the game. Senior forward Paul Davis added his fourth straight double-double effort with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Marcus Wells added 12 points. The senior tandem of guard Andrew Jackson and forward McIntoche Alcius provided some strong efforts off the bench. Alcius scored 13 points with six rebounds while Jackson added 10 points and a pair of assists.

At the other end of the court, the Rams struggled to stop the Tigers, who were led by Saint Paul's junior guard Ibn-Saed Rasoul led the charge with 28 points with nine rebounds and eight assists. Rasoul was especially impressive with an 11-for-11 effort at the free throw line.

"We're going to get everyone's best shot every night," Collins added. "Tonight showed us that we can't take a game off. Hopefully, this served as a wakeup call and prepared us for the next game."

Though both teams are members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the game was a non-conference match-up. The Rams won't have long to rest as the team takes on the Virginia State Trojans, 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.