Feb. 7, 2011

Box Score

RALEIGH, NC - The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams picked up a dramatic 70-69 win over the Saint Augustine's Lady Falcons, Monday evening at Emery Gymnasium. WSSU senior forward Vontisha Woods grabbed a critical rebound and laid it back in with just six seconds left to pick up the critical victory for the Lady Rams. The clutch lay-up capped a hard-fought win for the Lady Rams as both teams gave it their all for all 40 minutes.

"It was another one of those games where we didn't know who was going to win until the end. Vontisha Woods had a great effort with the offensive rebound and putback and it was ironic that [senior guard] Rene Rector got the steal to seal it just like last time," WSSU head women's basketball coach Stephen Joyner, Jr. said. "We're happy about, we're excited about it, but now it's time to go get ready for Shaw next Saturday."

Statistically, the game was an evenly matched affair with both teams posting solid performances, but in the end, the Lady Rams made the plays that counted to pick up the win. The Lady Rams had a strong overall performance, shooting 46.8% from the field and holding Saint Augustine's to shooting 38.9%. In addition to Woods, who finished the game with 13 points and just three rebounds, sophomore guard Jasmine Newkirk added a team-high 20 points in the game. The effort didn't end there as senior guard Rene Rector dished out seven assists in the win while freshman forward Jazmine Wilson added eight points.

Rector's effort reflected another great effort for the senior guard who has been one of the team's top players recently. "She told them [the team] that it's playoff time and I told her that if that's the kind of mentality that we need to have then let's keep it and continue to get better with each game," Joyner added. "She's doing a really good job of distributing the ball and also looking for her shot."

The battle was a tough one early with the Lady Rams and Lady Falcons battling back and forth for all 20 minutes of the first half. Though the Lady Rams found themselves down late, the team made some key plays to finish the half with a 39-37 halftime lead. The battle ensued early for the Lady Rams as the team took an early 13-8 lead over the Lady Falcons on a jumper by junior guard Taneisha White. The Lady Rams pushed to extend their lead, but the aggressive Lady Falcons never let up. The WSSU lead disappeared in the final minutes when Saint Augustine's took a 35-34 lead, but a Woods three-pointer and a pair of free throws by junior forward Chloe Morse kept the Lady Rams in front 39-37 at the half.

The battle continued in the second half as the Lady Rams and Lady Falcons continued to work at both ends of the court. The drama really heated up in the final minutes of the game when the Lady Rams held a 63-61 lead with 5:49 left to play. The Lady Rams soon found themselves trailing the Lady Falcons, 69-64 after a pair of miscues and a pair of Saint Augustine's three-pointers. Though challenged, the Lady Rams never lost their cool as the team played some tough defense and kept the game within reach and set the stage for the game's dramatic ending. The Lady Rams took advantage of their defensive effort at the one minute mark when a Woods lay-up pulled the Lady Rams within one point, 68-69. With the win in sight, the Lady Rams turned up their defensive efforts, forcing a Lady Falcons turnover on the next possession and set the stage for the game's dramatic ending. After a WSSU shot and offensive rebound, WSSU called a timeout with 32 seconds left. After a Newkirk missed lay-up, Woods collected the rebound that was tipped several times and laid it in for the game-winning shot.

The dramatic win marked the second time this season that the Lady Rams recorded a close win over the Lady Falcons as WSSU defeated SAC 58-56 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Lady Rams will return to Raleigh, N.C. to take on the Shaw Lady Bears, Saturday. 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.