WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State University Rams (13-15, 8-9 CIAA) closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion when the team took a 59-55 Senior Day win over the Livingstone College Blue Bears (13-14, 7-10 CIAA), Saturday afternoon. The Rams had to work for every point in the win as the two teams gave a tremendous effort for all 40 minutes of the game.

As a team, the Rams took the win behind some solid offense and a sound defense. The Rams shot a combined 40.0% (20-of-50) from the floor. WSSU sophomore forward O'Shea Hatley led the way for the Rams when she came off the bench for 17 points in the game. She was the only WSSU player to reach double-digit scoring in the game. In the paint, the Rams held a 40-29 rebounding edge.

The Rams got off to a hot start with a strong first quarter of play. The team outscored the Blue Bears, 13-9. After allowing the Blue Bears to take an early 6-2 lead, the Rams kicked things into gear late in the quarter and outscored them 11-3 in the final five minutes of the quarter. The Rams closed the quarter on a high note when sophomore guard Melody Prichard hit a three-pointer with just eight seconds left in the quarter to leave the Rams on top, 13-9. 

The second quarter was a bit different as the Rams were the ones to fall victim to a late run and the team was outscored 17-12 during the quarter. Once again, the Rams allowed the Blue Bears to get a hot start to the quarter. The Rams found themselves tied , 21-21, with 1:47 left in the quarter. A three-point play from senior guard Taylor Daniels gave the Rams a 24-21 lead, but the Rams allowed the Blue Bears to close the half with a 26-25 lead.

In the third quarter, the Rams once again allowed the Blue Bears to control the game as the team outscored WSSU, 16-13 during the quarter. It didn't take long for the Rams to claim their first lead of the second half win senior guard Jahlia Williams hit a lay-up in the first minute to go ahead 27-26. However, the Rams struggled to muster much more offense for the remainder of the quarter and ended the period trailing the Blue Bears, 42-38.

It was in the fourth quarter when the Rams would really kick things into gear and would break the game open to claim the win. In the early going, things looked tough for the Rams as they allowed the Blue Bears to take a 47-40 lead. The Rams would step things up later in the quarter when a Hatley free throw capped a nine-point WSSU run that included four points from the sophomore. The effort left the Rams with a 49-47 lead with 3:21 left to play. Once in the lead, the Rams never looked back as they never allowed their lead to slip away. In the final minute, the WSSU defense was truly impressive as they held the Blue Bears to just one field goal and held on to claim the 59-55 win.

With the win, the Rams close the 2019-20 season with a 13-15 overall record and a 7-9 record in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. The team finishes the season in third place in the CIAA Southern Division and will await seeding for the 2020 CIAA Women's Championship Tournament next week. 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.