BOWIE, MD – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (4-8, 0-2 CIAA) ended up on the wrong end of a momentum swing when the team took a heartbreaking 77-72 overtime road loss to the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs  (6-6, 1-2 CIAA), Monday evening. The loss came in a roller coaster of a game as the Lady Rams held significant leads in all three periods of the game, but came up just short in the emotional loss.

As a team, the Lady Rams had a solid overall game, shooting 37.9% from the floor with just 18 turnovers. The team also recorded 11 steals and force 24 Bowie State turnovers. WSSU redshirt-senior guard Taylar Wells made the most of her comeback from a knee injury as she led the team with 16 points in 22 minutes of play. Junior guard Kesheria McNeil  added 14 points while senior forward Dionna Scott added 10 points. Senior forward Jovanah Graham added seven points with eight rebounds.

Things looked good early for the Lady Rams who opened the game on a high note with one of their best halves of the season. The team finished the half shooting a scorching hot 50% (13-of-26) from the floor with just six turnovers. The team took control of the half early jumping out to an 11-2 lead, capped by a three-pointer from freshman guard Tiana Edwards. From there, the Lady Rams remained in control of the half, but had to fend off a late rally from the Lady Bulldogs. Bowie State managed an 8-4 run midway through the half that cut the Lady Rams' lead down to just five points, 23-17 with 10:32 left to play. The Lady Rams stood up to the challenge and more when they scored six straight points to stay on top, 33-21 with 5:37 left in the half.

The Lady Rams' most impressive efforts came late in the half when the team staged a held Bowie State to just one field goal in the final seven minutes of the half. The defensive effort resulted in the team's largest lead of half when a McNeil free throw left the Lady Rams on top, 40-23 with 00:33 left in the half. A Bowie State three-pointer with 00:15 left gave the Lady Rams a 40-26 halftime lead.

The second half turned out to be a much different affair as the Lady Rams impressive 14-point lead what chipped away early in the period. The Lady Rams' struggles began early in the half as the team was held scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half. By the time McNeil broke the scoring seal with a jumper at the 14:19 mark, the team's lead was reduced to seven points, 42-35. The WSSU drought continued until Lady Rams ended up trailing for the first time in the game, 44-45 with 11:42 left in the half. The Lady Rams would answer the challenge, however, as the team mounted a 13-2 run that put the team on top, 57-47 with 5:57 left. The momentum of the game swung to the other end of the court, however with the Lady Rams getting outscored 14-4 in the final six minutes of the game to leave the score tied 61-61 with 1:35 left in the second half. Wells would give the Lady Rams a lead on a jumper at the 1:16 mark, but Bowie State would answer with a jumper with 00:44 left and sent the game into overtime.

The see saw battle continued into the overtime period with Wells leading the way for the Lady Rams. She scored the first basket of the period to put the Lady Rams on top, 65-63 with 4:44 left, but Bowie State answered on the very next possession.  After a pair of Bowie State free throws left the Lady Rams trailing 65-67, McNeil answered with a basket of her own to tie the game, 67-67 with 3:20 left to play. Wells would added a pair of free throws to put the Lady Rams back on top, 69-67, but Bowie State once again answered with a pair of free throws of their own. The game was broken open at the 1:02 mark when a Bowie State three-pointer left the Lady Rams trailing, 72-75 and the Lady Rams could not find an answer as the team was held scoreless for the final minute of the period. Bowie State would add a pair of free throws that sealed the 77-72 Lady Rams loss.

With the loss, the Lady Rams fall to 4-8 on the season and 0-2 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. The loss was the third straight road loss for the Lady Rams. The Lady Rams will return to action, Thursday when they head home to host the Virginia State Lady Trojans in a 5:30 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.