WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (10-15, 6-9 CIAA) couldn't find any answers when the team took a tough 76-62 loss to the Johnson C. Smith (20-6, 10-5 CIAA), Wednesday afternoon. Though there was no shortage of effort for the Lady Rams, the team just could not get past shooting struggles that plagued them for all 40 minutes of the game.

As a team, the Lady Rams found offense hard to come by, even though they did a solid job of slowing down the Golden Bulls. The Lady Rams finished the game shooting just 27.9% (19-of-68) from the floor and shot 25% (five-of-20) from the three-point line. The WSSU shooting woes overshadowed a rather clean game for the Lady Rams as they committed just 10 turnovers in the game. Defensively, the Lady Rams did a solid job against the Golden Bulls as they forced 21 JCSU turnovers. WSSU senior forward Dionna Scott led the way for the Lady Rams with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds. Fellow senior guard Taylar Wells added 15 points in the game while junior guard Kesheria McNeil added seven points off the bench.

The Lady Rams' struggles began early in the game, but the team rallied to make the first half a competitive affair. The Lady Rams began the game on a down note as they were held scoreless for the first four minutes of the game and fell behind, 8-0 before a pair of Scott free throws at the 16:31 mark. The Lady Rams showed some life after the opening drought as Wells scored all seven points in a 7-2 run by the Lady Rams to cut the team's deficit down to just four points, 13-9 with 13:21 left in the half. The Lady Rams would keep the game within reach for the remainder of the half as a pair of McNeil free throws cut the WSSU deficit down to just four points, 21-17 with 6:11 left in the half. However, it was then that things got tough for the Lady Rams as they allowed a 12-5 run by the Golden Bulls and fell behind, 33-22 in the final two minutes of the half. The Lady Rams were able to get things together in the final minutes as they scored five unanswered points and took a 33-27 deficit into the locker room at the half.

In the second half, the Lady Rams continued their battle, but the team could not seem to get their shots to fall as foul troubles and some tough Golden Bulls defense was too much for the Lady Rams to overcome. The Lady Rams got the half started on the right foot when senior guard Briana Wilder hit a three-pointer that cut the team's deficit in half, 33-30 with 19:46 left to play. However, the Golden Bulls answered with a seven-point run that left the Lady Rams trailing, 40-30 with 16:41 left to play. Once again, Wells would answer for the Lady Rams when she scored six unanswered points for the Lady Rams and pulled the team to within four points of the Golden Bulls, 40-36 with 15:36 left to play. The Lady Rams' offensive struggles arose once again as Johnson C. Smith pushed its lead to 13 points, 49-36 with 13:16 left to play. After falling behind, 60-46, the Lady Rams staged their last comeback effort of the game as they cut their deficit down to 13 points, 64-51 with 4:55 left to play. The Lady Rams' deficit grew to as many as 17 points, 68-51 with 2:51 left to play. In the final minutes, the Lady Rams were able to cut into their deficit, but the foul troubles caught up to them as the Golden Bulls were six-for-six from the free throw line in the final 1L05 of the game and left the Lady Rams with the 76-62 loss.

With the loss, the Lady Rams fall to 10-15 on the season and 6-9 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The team will close out the regular season when they head to Salisbury, N.C. to take on the Livingstone 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.