Box Score WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Winston-Salem State fell behind early and never held a lead in the game, as the Fayetteville State Broncos upset the WSSU Rams, 64-54, Saturday night at the CE Gaines Center on the WSSU campus.
With the loss WSSU finishes the regular season at 18-9 overall, 10-6 in the CIAA and 4-6 in the Southern Division. The Rams will limp into the CIAA Tourney having lost six of their last 10 games. WSSU will be the #3 seed from the Southern Division.
Fayetteville State improves to 9-16 overall, 6-10 in the CIAA, and 4-6 in the CIAA Southern Division. Fayetteville State will enter the CIAA Tournament as the #4 seed from the Southern Division.
The Rams started cold and never seemed to get on the right track all night, as WSSU fell behind early to the Broncos, disappointing a capacity filled CE Gaines Center on Senior Night.
The Broncos, who shot six of nine from 3-point range and hit 52 % of their shots from the field in the first half, and kept the Ram fans sitting on their hands all evening.
As mentioned before, the Rams seemed to never get on track, and headed to locker room at halftime trailing by 11 points, 37-26.
The second half started much like the first with the Rams struggling on both ends, and the Broncos used a 10-0 run to push their lead to 47-28 at the first media timeout of the second half.
But the WSSU Rams would mount a comeback, led by Wakefield Ellison, who came off the bench to score all 11 of his points in the second half. Winston-Salem State would use a 21-5 run to trim the deficit to three, 52-49, with 5:55 to go.
The Rams, however would get no closer, as FSU would hit a jumper to stop the WSSU run, stretched the lead back to seven, 56-49, with 3:59 to go, and the Broncos would finish off the game for the 64-54 win over the Rams.
Winston-Salem State was plagued all night by poor free throw shooting, finishing the night going 15 of 28 (53.6%) and hitting just one of 18 3-pt shots (5.6%). WSSU also committed 19 turnovers on the night.
Justin Glover, named to the All-CIAA team earlier in the week, led the Rams with 16 points, while also grabbing four rebounds and one steal. WyKevin Bazemore, named the CIAA Rookie of the Year and All-CIAA, finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. It was his seventh double-double of the season. Wakefield Ellison also finished with 11 points off the bench for WSSU, while also pulling down four rebounds. Marcus Wells added seven points and four rebounds, to go with an assist and two steals.
For Fayetteville State, Anthony Shelton scored a game high 17 points, while Tyrrel Tate added 15 points. Dominque Johnson had a team high six rebounds.
Winston-Salem State must now regroup and prepare for the upcoming conference tournament. The WSSU Rams will enter next week's 100th Anniversary CIAA Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, NC as the #3 seed from the Southern Division, and will face Virginia Union on Thursday. Virginia Union enters the tourney as the #2 seed from the Northern Division.
