WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (4-6, 0-1 CIAA) gave a great effort, but the team could not overcome a slow start as they took a 69-59 loss to the Lincoln (Pa.) Lions (5-5, 1-2 CIAA), Monday evening. The Rams could not overcome a 23-point first half as they took the loss in their Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) game of the season.

The loss came in spite of a strong offensive outing by the Rams as the team's 59 points in the loss. As a team, the Rams shot 35.3% from the floor and 45.5% from the three-point line. WSSU junior forward Jasmine Carter led the way for the team with 18 points and nine rebounds in the game while sophomore center Kandace Tate added 11 points in the game. Junior guard Trei Torain added 10 points as well.

Things got tough early for the Rams as the team fell behind 8-2 after the first three minutes of play. After falling into a double-digit deficit, 16-6 with 1:30 left in the first quarter, Tate hit a pair of free throws to pull things back within reach, 16-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Tate free throws were a pair of a five-point run by the Rams that cut the WSSU deficit in half after a lay-up and free throw from Torain that left the score, 16-11, with 9:52 left in the half. The Rams soon fell victim to another Lincoln (Pa.) run that left the team trailing, 11-22 with 8:04 left in the half. It was then that the Rams would kick things into gear with a nine-point run that cut their deficit down to just two points, 20-22 with 5:50 left in the half. Unfortunately, the Rams would allow another six-point run by the Lions that left WSSU trailing 20-28 with 1:21 left in the half. A three-point play from redshirt-sophomore Jatzmin Johnson was all that the Rams could muster in the rest of the half as the team took a 23-30 deficit into the locker room at halftime.

The second half was tale of two quarters for the Rams as the team could never recover from a big third quarter by the Lions who scored 24 third quarter points. During the quarter, the Rams fell behind by as many as 22 points, 45-23 with 4:23 left in the quarter. Carter would power a 15-5 run that included eight points from Carter and pulled to within 12 points, 52-40 with 00:28 left in the quarter. In the end, the Rams took a 54-40 deficit into the locker room at halftime. In the fourth quarter, the Rams staged a furious comeback, but in the end, it was not enough. The team cut its deficit down to as few as six points, 61-55, with 3:13 left to play before four unanswered points by the Lions left the Rams trailing, 65-55 with 1:49 left. Though a Torain three-pointer with 00:11 left gave the team some life, it was too late as Lincoln (Pa.) connected on a pair of free throws to seal the 69-59 WSSU loss.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 4-6 overall and 0-1 in CIAA play. Following the home loss, the team will hit the road for another CIAA match up at Virginia State. 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.