CHARLOTTE, NC - The Winston-Salem State University Rams (14-15) used a late second half surge to claim a 60-51 win over the Claflin Lady Panthers (1-26) in the opening round of the 2020 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. After three quarters of tough play by both teams, the Rams seized control of the game late in the third quarter to pull away for the post-season victory.

"It [this game] was a hard-fought one," Winston-Salem State University women's basketball head coach L'Tona Lamonte said after the win. "I always tell the girls that the first game is always the toughest."

The Rams took the win behind one of their best overall performances of the season. As a team, the Rams were especially impressive defensively as they held the Lady Panthers to shooting just 30.6% (15-of-49), but the team struggled to make shots of their own, shooting 31.6% (18-of-57) from the floor. WSSU sophomore guard Melody Prichard led the Rams to the win with a game-high 22 points. Fellow sophomore O'Shea Hatley added 12 points with nine rebounds in the game.

"This team we played, I can't give anything past what their record states because this team is a tough team," Lamonte added. "We've had some dealings with them twice this season where it's been a long drawn out battle and it's taken the fourth quarter before we could even take the lead."

As the game opened, the defensive tone was set early as both the Rams and the Lady Panthers struggled to put points on the scoreboard in the first quarter. It was the Rams who struck first as the team jumped out to an early 7-2 lead after a free throw from senior guard Taylor Daniels with 4:19 left in the quarter. However, the Rams allowed a late run by the Lady Panthers that tied the game, 7-7. However, WSSU would hold on to the lead with a Prichard lay-up and a free throw from junior guard Teara Johnson that gave the Rams a 10-7 lead that the team carried into the second quarter.

The second quarter was just as heated as the Rams and the Lady Panthers continued their great defensive play. After allowing the Lady Panthers to tie the game, 18-18 with 4:34 left in the quarter, the Rams found themselves playing from behind as the Lady Panthers took a 20-18 lead. However, the Rams kept the game within reach before a Hatley three-point play with 00:35 left in the second quarter kept the Rams on top, 23-22 and the Rams took the lead into the locker room at halftime.

It was late in the third quarter when the Rams really began to take over the game. The Rams took their time getting things going in the quarter as they allowed the Lady Panthers to take a 27-25 lead with 6:04 left in the period. However, the Rams closed the quarter in style. After falling behind, 27-29, the Rams closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run that was capped by a three-point play from graduate forward Brandi Segars with 00:24 left in the quarter. The effort left the Rams with a 37-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Rams had to fend off a strong comeback effort from the tenacious Lady Panthers, but WSSU would not allow their win to slip away as some clutch late free throws sealed the WSSU win. Things looked good early as a Hatley free throw at the4:22 mark gave the Rams a 48-41 lead, but the tough Lady Panthers would not go away. Claflin would cut the WSSU lead down to as few as four points, 54-50, with 00:42 left to play. However, the Rams would go on to hit four-of-five free throws in the final minute of the game while allowing just one more point to the Lady Panthers to secure the 60-51 victory.

With the win, the Rams improve to 13-15 overall. The team will advance to the quarterfinal round of the 2020 CIAA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. The Rams will take on the second-seeded Lincoln (Pa.) Lady Lions in a 1:00 p.m. game at Spectrum Arena, Thursday. 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.