Feb. 26, 2011

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - The Winston-Salem State Rams (19-6, 12-5 CIAA, 7-3 CIAA South) came up big for a 74-69 road win over the Fayetteville State Broncos (13-13, 8-9 CIAA, 4-6 CIAA South). With a first place finish in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division on the line, the Rams fought off a determined Fayetteville State Broncos team that made the game a battle from beginning to end.

"For the last four years, we haven't been able to play for anything," WSSU head men's basketball coach Bobby Collins said. "For this team to come back and do what they did, there were no words to describe what this feels like. We have weathered the storm."

With a top seed in the upcoming CIAA championship tournament at stake, the Rams responded with one of their best overall efforts of the season as the Rams shot 46.6% from the field while holding the Broncos to shooting just 40.3% from the field on their home court. The Rams utilized a balanced attack to take the win with three players reaching double-digit scoring in the game. WSSU redshirt-sophomore forward Stephon Platt, from nearby Laurinburg, N.C., led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Marcus Wells added 13 points and three steals while redshirt-senior guard Shelton Carter added 12 points.

The first half saw a great effort by both teams as the momentum swung to both sides of the court for the half. Defense was the order of the day early as the Rams and Broncos combined for just 10 points through the first seven minutes of the game when the Rams trailed 6-4 with 13:29 left in the half. The offenses would show up in a big way midway through the half, however. As Fayetteville State built a 19-10 lead with 9:52 left in the half. Though challenged, the Rams responded with a 15-3 run to erase the Broncos' lead and took a 24-23 lead on a lay-up and free throw by Wells. Once in control of the game, the Rams made sure to not let up as the team pushed its lead to six points, 33-27 with 2:06 and kept the Broncos at bay for a 36-30 halftime lead.

The second half turned out to be a thrilling affair as a big WSSU lead turned into a nail-biter in a hurry. The Rams maintained control of the game early in the half with a 6-1 run, highlighted by dunks by senior forward Paul Davis and Platt, put the team in control by double-digits for the first time, 42-31, with 17:59 left to play. The Rams continued their push with a 49-35 lead marked the team's largest cushion of the game. Things got interesting in a hurry as the Broncos stepped up their efforts to cut the WSSU lead down to just four points, 66-62 with 1:06 left to play. The final minute was a dramatic one as the Broncos whittled the WSSU lead down to two points, 71-69 with 17.2 left to play. But a Wells steal with just less than 10 seconds left ended the threat for the Rams. With a pair of Platt free throws, the Rams capped their win and sealed the 74-69 win for the Rams.

"I never worried. Honestly, I felt that we were going to win this game in spite of what we had to go through," Collins added. "I have to hand it to my guys. They never stopped fighting."

With the win, the Rams move into first place in the CIAA Southern division and will claim at least a share of the division championship. The Rams end the 2010-11 regular season with a 19-6 overall record and a 12-5 record in the CIAA. More importantly, the Rams finished the season with a 7-3 record, the best possible record in the CIAA Southern Division and will claim the top seed in the division by virtue of a better overall conference record than the Shaw Bears.

With the top seed, the Rams will receive a first round bye at next week's 2011 CIAA Basketball Championship tournament. For more information on Rams basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 416-7220.