CHARLOTTE, NC – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (0-3) couldn't find an answer for a quality Wingate Bulldogs (1-0) team that clicked on all cylinders in an 84-59 loss on the opening day of the 2011 Queens City Classic, hosted by Johnson C. Smith University, Friday. The Lady Rams had no shortage of effort, but could never quite get into the game in the tough loss.

The Lady Rams had a tough game on both ends of the court, shooting 29.3% from the field with 37 turnovers while allowing the Bulldogs to shoot 50.8%. The loss came in spite of an inspired effort by WSSU junior guard Jasmine Newkirk, who finished the game with 19 points. One of the few bright spots in the game was the WSSU rebounding effort as the Lady Rams held a 45-39 edge in rebounding. Sophomore forward Alisha Hardley led the WSSU rebounding effort with seven rebounds in the game.

The Lady Rams had a tough time dealing with a hot-shooting Wingate team that jumped out to an early 22-9 lead with just under 11 minutes left to play in the first half. The team struggled against a hot shooting Wingate team and some untimely fouls to take the early deficit. The Lady Rams went on to trail the Bulldogs by as many as 24 points, but the team would fight back. Junior guard Jasmine Newkirk would spark the effort with some great shooting to lead a WSSU comeback. The Lady Rams were able to cut the lead down to a few as 12 points before heading into the locker room trailing, 46-31 at the half.

The second half began with another cold start by the Lady Rams as the team's deficit grew to 21 points, 55-34 with 17:11 left in the game. The Lady Rams made an effort to get back in the game, but could get no closer than 17 points in the first minute of the half. The Lady Rams went on to fall behind by as many as 29 points in the half. Down the stretch of the game, the Lady Rams would attempt to bounce back, but could never get the game back within reach.

The Lady Rams will return to action tomorrow when the team returns to Jack S. Brayboy Gymnasium to take on the Tuskegee Tigerettes in a 2:00 p.m. game. For more information on Lady Rams basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.