BOWIE, MD – The Winston-Salem State Rams (5-7, 1-1 CIAA) ended 2016 on a sour note when the team took a heartbreaking 54-52 road loss to the Bowie State Bulldogs (11-2, 3-0 CIAA), Saturday afternoon. It was a fourth-quarter drought that cost the Rams as the team saw a 19-point fourth quarter lead dissipate in the hard-fought loss.

The Rams had a solid overall game, but the team could not quite overcome a fourth quarter effort that saw the team score just four points. As a team, the Rams shot a solid 43.1% (22-of-51) from the floor, including shooting 30.8% (four-of-13) from the three-point line. WSSU senior center Taylor Boyd led the scoring for the Rams with a team-high 12 points and seven rebounds while fellow senior forward Jasmine Carter totaled 10 points. Senior forward Trei Torain led the Rams' rebounding effort with nine rebounds.

The Rams controlled much of the game as the team outscored the Bulldogs in three of the four quarters. The Rams outscored the Bulldogs 13-6 in the opening quarter. A lay-up from junior center Kandace Tate capped an eight-point run by the Rams and left the team on top, 11-4 with 4:07 left in the quarter. From there, the Rams were able to close out the quarter with the seven-point, 13-6 lead.

The second quarter was even better for the Rams as the team outscored the Bulldogs 18-11 in the second quarter and kept the team's seven-point cushion intact. The Rams pushed their lead to double digits in the second quarter when a three-pointer from junior guard Tiana Edwards left the Rams on top, 25-6 with 4:02 left in the half. Another three-pointer from senior forward Jasmine Carter gave the Rams a 31-14 lead with 1:25 left in the quarter. In the final minutes, the Rams allowed one more three-pointer to the Bulldogs and took a 31-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The third quarter saw another strong effort from the Rams, but the team had to fend off a strong effort by the Bulldogs. The WSSU lead was cut down to as few as 10 points, 39-29, with 3:08 left in the quarter before a Tate free throw with 00:15 left capped a 9-3 WSSU run that left the team in control, 48-32.  

As good as the first three quarter were, fourth quarter was devastating as the Rams were outscored, 22-4. A Torain jumper and a Carter lay-up were all that the Rams could muster as Bowie State chipped away at the Rams' lead until the final seconds when the Bulldogs hit a lay-up with 00:27 left put the Rams behind, 53-52,  for the first time all game long. From there, the Rams would not even get a shot attempt as Bowie State hit a free throw that left the final score, 54-52.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 5-7 overall and 1-1 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. The Team will return to action, Monday when they head to Richmond, Virginia to take on the Virginia Union Panthers. 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.