WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (8-9, 4-4 CIAA) got key Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division win, Monday evening when the team took a 51-44 win over the Fayetteville State Lady Broncos (11-9, 5-4 CIAA). In a game that featured some strong defense from both teams, the Rams were able to come out on top to improve to 2-1 in the CIAA Southern Division.

The points were hard to come by for both the Rams and the Lady Broncos, but in the end, the Rams held on for their fourth win in their last five games. Offensively, the Rams struggled against the Lady Broncos defense as the team shot just 28.8% (17-of-59) in the game. But the team countered the effort with some strong defense of their own as they held the Lady Broncos to shooting just 33.3% (19-of-57) from the floor. WSSU junior forward Jasmine Carter came off the bench to lead the way for the Rams with 15 points. Junior forward Sha'Quira Palmer added a near double-double with nine points and nine rebounds of her own.

The Rams took control of the game early when they held the Lady Broncos to just four first quarter points and took a 14-4 lead. For the quarter the Rams held the Lady Broncos to just two field goals and mounted the 10-point lead. From there, the Rams kept things going in the second quarter as they pushed their lead to as many as 12 points, 20-8 with 3:25 left in the half before taking a 10-point lead, 22-12 into the locker room at halftime.

The second half turned out to be a see-saw battle with the two teams trading momentum for the remainder of the game. In the third quarter, the Rams were outscored 15-8 as the Lady Broncos staged a comeback. After allowing the Lady Broncos to tie the game 27-27 with 2:00 left in the quarter, the Rams broke out to maintain the lead and never looked back.  A Carter three-pointer at the 1:44 mark in the third quarter sparked a 15-2 WSSU that ran into the fourth quarter and left the Rams on top, 42-29 with 6:40 left to play. From there, the Rams went into cruise mode to score 21 fourth quarter points and took home the victory.

With the win, the Rams improve to 8-9 overall, 4-4 in the CIAA, and more importantly, they improve to 2-1 in the CIAA Southern Division. The Rams won't have long to rest, however, as the team will return to action, Wednesday evening when they host the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls.

For more information on Rams women's basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.