LINCOLN, PA - The Winston-Salem State University Rams (10-13, 5-7 CIAA) played one of their best games of the season, but the team ran out of gas in a 65-59 overtime loss to the Lincoln (Pa.) Lady Lions (21-3, 10-1 CIAA), Monday evening. Though short-handed, the Rams gave a tremendous effort in the game, but the team fell just short in the overtime loss.

The loss came in spite of one of the Rams' best performances of the season even though the team dressed just eight players. As a team, the Rams struggled against some solid defense from the Lady Lions. WSSU was held to shooting just 28.6% (20-of-70) from the floor, but the team responded with some tough defense of their own as they held the Lady Lions to shooting just 34.4% (21-of-61). WSSU also forced 30 Lincoln (Pa.) turnovers. WSSU sophomore guard Melody Prichard led the way for the Rams with a career-high 28 points in the game. Senior guard Jahlia Williams added a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in the game.

The game was a dramatic one from the very beginning with some strong efforts from both teams. In the first quarter, a jumper from junior guard Teara Johnson with 2:47 left in the quarter gave the Rams an 8-4 lead. The four-point cushion was the largest lead of the quarter by either team.

The second quarter was just as thrilling as the first quarter with both teams matching each other on the scoreboard. The Rams fell behind by as many as six points, 23-17 with just under two minutes left in the quarter, but the Rams bounced back in big way with six unanswered points that included a jumper from sophomore forward Kinnidy Lawrence that tied the game, 23-23, with just 00:17 left in the quarter. From there, the two teams went into the locker room tied.

In the third quarter, the Rams were able to outscore the Lady Lions, 16-13. The Rams opened the quarter by allowing five straight points to the Lady Lions and fell behind, 28-23, before going on a 9-1 run that was capped by a Prichard lay-up that gave WSSU a 32-29 lead with 5:19 left in the quarter. The Rams allowed the Lady Lions to tie the game, 36-36 in the final seconds before another Prichard three-pointer in the final seconds gave the Rams a 39-36 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter turned out to be a dramatic one as the two teams once again battled until the final buzzer. In the early going, the Rams surged ahead of the Lady Lions after a lay-up from sophomore guard Kyree Hall gave the Rams a 43-36 lead with 8:45 left in regulation play. The Rams went ahead by as many as eight points, 46-38 after a Johnson three-pointer with 5:58 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Rams fell victim to an 11-2 run by the Lady Lions to fall behind, 49-48 with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter. The two teams went back-and-forth until the final seconds when a Prichard lay-up with 00:39 left to play tied the game 52-52. Both teams turned up their defensive efforts as neither team managed to score in the final seconds of the game. The Rams would force a Lady Lions miss on their buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent the game into overtime.

In the overtime period, the long game proved costly for the short-handed Rams. The team was outscored 13-7 in the period. After allowing three unanswered points to the Lady Lions, the Rams tied the game once again, 57-57 after a Prichard free throw with 3:15 left to play. From there, the Rams could not find enough energy to close out the game as the team allowed the Lady Lions to pull away late for the 65-59 win.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 10-13 overall and 5-7 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. The team will return to action, Saturday, when the Rams head to Raleigh, N.C. to take on the Saint Augustine's Falcons in a 2:00 p.m. game. 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.