CHARLOTTE, NC – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (13-6, 8-1 CIAA) gave it their all, but the team fell short in a hard-fought 70-61 road loss to the Johnson C. Smith Lady Golden Bulls (15-3, 9-0 CIAA). After controlling much of the game, the Lady Rams fell victim to a late surge by the Lady Golden Bulls that ended the Lady Rams' 10-game winning streak, the second-longest winning streak in school history.

There was no shortage of effort by the Lady Rams as the team gave an inspired performance in one of their biggest games of the season. As to be expected, both teams gave spectacular efforts in the game. The Lady Rams shot a solid 36.1% from the field in the game while holding the Lady Golden Bulls to shooting 37.0% from the floor and forced 14 JCSU turnovers. WSSU sophomore forward Alisha Hardley led the way with a career-high 12 points in the game.  Junior guard Jasmine Newkirk added her second straight double-double with 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in the game.

In the early going, it was the Lady Rams who took control of the contest with a 5-2 run to take the early lead with 18:37 left in the first half, but the Lady Golden Bulls had an answer with a 10-2 run that left the Lady Rams trailing 12-7 with 15:35 left to play. The Lady Rams would go on to tie the game with five straight points, capped by a lay-up and free throw by junior forward Schatavia Gray at the 13:27 mark. It was midway through the half when the Lady Rams would take control of the contest when a 13-6 WSSU run left the Lady Rams with a 27-20 lead with 4:50 left in the half. The Lady Rams would go on to push their lead to double-digits at the 1:21 mark when a Hardley lay-up left the Lady Rams on top, 34-24. The Lady Rams would cruise in the final minute of the half to take a 36-28 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Lady Rams continued their strong play through much of the second half, but could not hold off the hard-charging Lady Golden Bulls. Things looked good early for the Lady Rams as the team held the Lady Golden Bulls at bay and pushed their lead to 12 points on a pair of three throws by senior guard Courtney Medley that left the Lady Rams leading 45-33 with 16:18 left to play. Though Johnson C. Smith would answer with a furious 9-2 run that left the Lady Rams on top, 47-44 with 14:03 left, the Lady Rams answered. The team pushed its lead to nine points when a Medley jumper left the Lady Rams leading 52-43 with 12:31 left to play. After taking the lead to as many as nine points with just under eight minutes left to play, it was then that things began to slip away for the Lady Rams. The team managed just one field goal in the final eight minutes while Johnson C. Smith went on a 19-2 run that ended the Lady Rams' winning streak.

With the loss, the Lady Rams fall to 13-6 overall and 8-1 in the CIAA. The loss also gave the Lady Rams their first CIAA Southern Division loss of the season as well. The Lady Rams will return to action, Saturday when the team heads to nearby Salisbury, N.C. to take on the Livingstone Lady Blue Bears. 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.