RICHMOND, VA – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (8-13, 4-7 CIAA) turned on their defense to take an impressive 53-41 win at Virginia Union (6-14, 2-9 CIAA). After falling behind midway through the first half, the Lady Rams turned up their defensive efforts to close out the game on a 15-0 run and took their second win in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play, Wednesday evening.

After experiencing some offensive struggles through much of the game, the Lady Rams kicked things into gear on both ends of the court to take the win. As a team, the Lady Rams forced 27 turnovers by the Lady Panthers and held them to shooting 39.1% from the floor. Offensively, WSSU junior guard Kesheria McNeil led the way for the team with 13 points in the game. Joining her were senior forward Dionna Scott, who scored 10 points, while redshirt-senior guard Taylar Wells added 10 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Sophomore center Sha'Quira Palmer added a pair of blocked shots as well.

The Lady Rams took control of the game early as they jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but soon had to fend off the Lady Panthers who went on a 7-2 run to tie the game, 9-9 with 12:09 left in the half. After trading baskets for a few minutes, the Lady Rams seized control of the game when a layup from sophomore forward Tabitha Fudge capped a seven-point run by the Lady Rams that left the team on top, 17-11 with 6:51 left in the half. The Lady Rams were able to maintain the six-point cushion for much of the half until a VUU jumper with 00:26 left gave the Lady Rams a 25-21 lead at halftime.

The second half was a real rollercoaster for the Lady Rams as the team's hot start cooled off, but reignited in a big way late in the game. The Lady Rams took control of things early as a McNeil layup at the 14:45 mark gave the Lady Rams a 31-23 lead. The team allowed just two points to the Lady Panthers in the opening five minutes of the half. Trouble would soon arise for the Lady Rams when Virginia Union went on an 11-2 run that left the Lady Rams trailing, 36-35 with 9:54 left. After falling behind by as many as four points, 41-37, the Lady Rams kicked things off in a major way. A McNeil three-pointer at the 4:57 sparked a 15-0 run for the Lady Rams that ended the game and gave the Lady Rams the victory. In addition to a stellar defensive effort to shut down the Lady Panthers, the Lady Rams saw some strong offensive performances as well with McNeil and Wells combining for 11 of the 15 points during the run. The Lady Rams held the Lady Panthers to four missed shots and seven turnovers in the final eight minutes of the game.

With the win, the Lady Rams improve to 8-13 for the season and 4-7 in CIAA play. The team will return to action, Saturday when they head to Raleigh, N.C. to take on the Saint Augustine's Lady Falcons. 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.