WSSU defensive effort keys second straight victory

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (7-9, 3-3 CIAA) held on late to take their second straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) victory, Monday afternoon. The Rams took the win behind a strong defensive effort as the Rams held on to claim a win over a solid Chowan squad.

The Rams took the win behind a great overall effort at both ends of the court. The Rams' defensive effort stole the show when the team held Chowan to shooting just 27.1% (23-of-85) from the floor while conversely shooting 45.3% (24-of-53) from the floor. WSSU junior center Kandace Tate led the team's scoring effort with a team-high 14 points and six points in the game. Junior guard Tiana Edwards added 13 points with eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Brionna Pate also pulled in eight rebounds in the game as well. Junior forward Birana Arnold added 10 points off the bench.

The Rams controlled the game from the very beginning. The team jumped out to an 8-2 lead and held Chowan to just one field goal in the first five minutes of the game. The Rams only allowed one more field goal for the quarter and finished with a 15-5 lead.

Although the second quarter saw the Rams allow more points, the team matched the Hawks' offensive efforts at every turn. After pushing their lead to as many as 12 points following a Tate lay-up, the Rams kept the Hawks at arms' reach for the remainder of the quarter. The team pushed its lead to as many as 14 points after a lay-up from Edwards at the 5:20 mark. The Rams' hot start would cool down in the final minutes of the first half, but the Rams were able to hold off the Hawks to take a 35-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.

While the Rams pushed the pace in the first half to jump ahead early, the second half was a different story as the team had to hold off the Hawks in the second half. After going ahead by as many as 17 points, 38-21 after a three-pointer from senior forward Jasmine Carter early in the third quarter, the team's lead was whittled down to just six points, 50-44 with just 32 seconds left in the third quarter.

After facing the challenge, the Rams stepped up to control the fourth quarter and claimed the victory. After the Rams' lead was chipped down to just four points early in the quarter, the Rams answered with a 10-point run to go ahead 62-48 after a Tate lay-up with 6:21 left to play. The final minutes of the game saw the Rams take care of the ball and controlled the clock with just one field goal in the final four minutes of the game. With their focus on the defensive side of the ball, the Rams closed out the game for the 69-57 victory.

With the win, the Rams improve to 7-9 overall and 3-3 in CIAA play. The team will return to action, Wednesday evening when they host the Shaw Lady Bears in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader. 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.