March 14, 2008

COMPLETE GAME NOTES

 

RALEIGH, NC - It's tourney time for the Rams.  For the first time in three-plus seasons, the Rams of Winston-Salem State University will participate in an atmosphere that replicates post-season basketball as WSSU will face the North Carolina Central Eagles in a "Bonus Game" at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament at the RBC Center on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.  The two long-standing rivals will tip-off following the MEAC women's basketball championship (1:00 p.m.) and prior to the men's title game (8:00 p.m.).

 

Game #30 vs. North Carolina Central Notables...The Rams and the Eagles will tip-off on Saturday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina....The two teams will meet for the first time this season and 133rd time in history...The game is a non-conference match-up as the Rams are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Eagles are a Division I Independent currently searching for membership in a conference...The Eagles hold a 3-26 overall record and are riding a three-game losing streak...The Rams enter Saturday's contest with a 12-17 record overall and are riding a one-game losing streak...The contest between the Rams and Eagles marks the renewing of a rivalry that dates back to the two teams' first meeting on Feb. 5, 1938...The Rams and Eagles have not met on the court since the 2005-06 season, the Rams' final year of membership in the CIAA and last season at the Division II level, when the two teams split a pair of games...The all-time series is slanted in favor of the Rams by a count of 72-60.

 

Game Details

The Winston-Salem State University Rams (12-17) versus the North Carolina Central University Eagles (3-26) at the RBC Center (19,722 capacity) in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 15, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.  The contest is a part of the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball championship tournament and takes place following the conclusion of the women's title game (1:00 p.m.) and prior to the men's championship (8:00 p.m.).  This MEAC Tournament "Bonus Game" will pit two long-time rivals versus one another. 

 

Setting the Scene

The Rams head into Saturday's action riding a one-game losing streak as they fell in defeat to the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University on March 6 by the score of 73-71.  The Eagles enter Saturday's contest riding a three-game losing streak and fell in defeat to Colgate University on Feb. 23 by the score of 77-69. 

 

The Series In Depth

The Eagles and Rams are no stranger to one another as the rivalry between the two schools, which are separated by only 79 miles of Interstate 40, dates back to before the two institutions became members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).  The two teams have met 132 times prior to Saturday's contest with the first meeting coming on Feb. 5, 1938.  The Rams hold a 72-60 lead in the all-time series and have outscored the Eagles 9,424 (71.4 ppg) to 9,119 (69.1 ppg) in those 132 meetings.  WSSU won the last contest between the two teams by the score of 59-51 on Feb. 21, 2006 at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC.  The last NCCU victory came on Feb. 4, 2006 when the Eagles defeated WSSU 65-55 at McClendon-McDougald Gymnasium in Durham, NC.

 

Streaks

The Rams saw their one-game win streak snapped in their last action as they fell in defeat at South Carolina State University for the second consecutive season.  Three WSSU players scored in double figures but it was not enough as WSSU dropped a 73-71 decision in a game they led by as many as 11 points on March 6.  The Eagles enter Saturday's action with a three-game skid as they have dropped their last three contests, a 77-69 loss at Colgate (Feb. 23), an 81-69 loss to Lenoir-Rhyne (Feb. 20), and a 69-62 loss to Utay Valley State (Feb. 19).

 

Long Lay Off(s)

The Rams have not played in nine days as their last action came last Thursday, March 6.  The Eagles have not taken to the court for a game in 20 days as their last action came on Feb. 23 at Colgate University.

 

Television Coverage

There will be no live television broadcast of the game between the Rams and the Eagles.  The MEAC men's basketball tournament championship game (8:00 p.m.) will be broadcast on ESPN Classic.

 

WSSU Radio Coverage

The Rams will broadcast the contest versus the Eagles live on the radio on WSNC 90.5 FM.  WSNC is the flagship station of the Rams Radio Broadcasting Network and will carry all WSSU games live on the radio in the greater Winston-Salem, NC area and worldwide on the Internet at www.WSSU.edu.  Alan Chavous will provide all the play-by-play action with Kim Spears providing the color analysis.  Sharrod Patterson will appear on select broadcasts and provide in-depth analysis.

 

North Carolina Central Radio Coverage

The Eagles will broadcast the contest versus the Rams live on the radio on WRJD 1410 AM with Chris Hooks calling all the play-by-play action and Sedrick Dickens providing color commentary.  For additional information on the NCCU radio broadcast, contact the NCCU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (919) 530-7054.

 

Live Statistical Broadcast

WSSU partners with CSTV Online and the Office of Athletic Media Relations will air a live statistical broadcast of the game between the Rams and the Eagles on the Internet utilizing CSTV's GAMETRACKER software application. WSSU's live statistical broadcast will be available at WSSURams.com. The broadcast is free of charge to any viewer wishing to take advantage of the live statistics feature.  The Eagles, also a CSTV Online partner will present the same live statistics feed at NCCUEaglePride.com.  

 

Websites

WSSURams.com, the official website for Winston-Salem State University athletics is the 24-hour-a-day home for breaking news, in-depth features, and colorful and informative commentary on the Rams.  WSSURams.com brings every Ram fan close to all the action with exclusive interviews, stories and photos of WSSU athletes and coaches, unrivaled interactive game day coverage, and a vast archive of historical and biographical information. If it's going on in the world of WSSU Athletics, you can find it at WSSURams.com, the online home of the Rams. The Official Athletic Site of the Eagles is located at NCCUEaglePride.com.

 

Whom To Contact

The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball contact is Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations, Chris Zona. Zona can be reached in the office at (336) 750-2143, on his cell phone at (336) 416-6452 or via email at zonac@wssu.edu. The North Carolina Central men's basketball contact is Kyle Serba, Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations.  Serba can be reached in the office at (919) 530-7054, on his cell phone at (919) 796-1696-6165 and via email at kserba@nccu.edu.

 

National Rankings

Neither the Rams nor the Eagles are ranked in either the AP Top 25 poll or ESPN/USA Today poll. Neither team has been ranked this season and neither have received votes in 2007-08. Neither team has defeated a ranked team.

 

The Book On WSSU (12-17)

Year three comes to a close.  The Rams, much like the Eagles, are in their transition from NCAA Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association to NCAA Division I and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.  WSSU is one full year ahead of NCCU in that transition.

 

The contest on Saturday will mark the final game of the year for the Rams.  WSSU enters into action on Saturday with a 12-17 overall mark and have won four of their last seven games.

 

WSSU is led in scoring by junior Jamal Durham who is averaging a team-high 12.4 points per game and is coming off of a season-high-tying 25 points versus South Carolina State on March 6.

 

Durham is joined by Darrell Wonge, a senior who will be playing the final game of his career on Saturday versus NCCU, who is tallying 10.5 points per contest as they are the only two Rams who are scoring in double-figures.

 

Durham is also chipping in with 5.6 rebounds per contest while Wonge adds 5.0 boards per contest.

 

Sophomore guard Brian Fisher is averaging 9.3 points per contest; freshman Paul Davis is adding 5.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game; and senior Roy Peake is adding 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game headed into the final game of his college career.

 

The Rams are shooting 39.5 percent from the field and are scoring 62.8 points per contest as WSSU is being outscored by 5.1 points per game this season.

 

WSSU has more than doubled their win total from last season as the Rams have 12 wins in 2007-08 in comparison to the five wins they posted last season.

 

The Book On North Carolina Central (3-26)

The Rams are no stranger to what the Eagles are going through this season.  The Eagles, in their first year of a transition to the NCAA Division I level have traveled more than 22,000 miles, played 23 road games in 13 different states and are putting the finishing touches on one of the most difficult schedules in the country versus a long-time rival.

 

The Eagles are 1-20 on the road this season and are coming into Saturday's contest versus WSSU averaging 56.1 points per contest.  NCCU is allowing opponents to score 79.0 points per game and are facing a 22.9 points per game scoring deficit.

 

NCCU is led by NCAA Division I All-Independent First-Team selection Charles Futrell.  Futrell, a senior from Fayetteville, NC leads the Eagles with 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.  He is joined in double-figures by Bryan Ayala who is the only other Eagle in double figures with a scoring average of 13.2 points per game.

 

Futrell and Ayala are the only two players on the North Carolina Central roster who have started every game this season (29 of 29).

 

Season Two For Collins

The 2007-08 season marks the second season at WSSU for head coach Bobby Collins.  Collins, a 1991 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, enters into his sixth season as a Division I collegiate head coach and brings with him his 82-98 overall record (.456 winning percentage).  Collins has posted a 17-41 overall record as head coach of the Rams (.293 winning percentage).  However, in his five seasons as the head coach at Hampton University (prior to coming to WSSU) he led the Pirates to a 65-57 overall record, three MEAC title-game appearances, a MEAC championship (2006), and an NCAA Tournament berth (2006). 

 

Collins Versus North Carolina Central

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has never faced the Eagles of North Carolina Central in his six-years as a collegiate head coach. 

 

Season Four For Dickerson

The Eagles are led by Henry Dickerson who is in his fourth season as head coach at North Carolina Central and enters into the contest with a 42-71 record at NCCU and a 114-144 career record.  Dickerson arrived at NCCU in 2004-05 after a five year stint as head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga where he was 72-73 and won two Southern Conference divisional titles from 1997-2002.  Dickerson is 1-3 against the Rams in his career.

 

Only Four Have Faced

Only four players on the current WSSU roster have faced the Eagles of North Carolina Central University.  Seniors Roy Peake, Darrell Wonge and Greg Lewis, and junior Jamal Durham are the only WSSU team members that have competed against the Eagles.

 

Last Action vs. NCCU

The Rams' last action versus North Carolina Central came on Feb. 21, 2006 at the LJVM Coliseum in a game which WSSU won 59-51.  In that contest the Rams were led by then-senior Alleggrie Guinn who tallied 17 points to lead the Rams.  Current WSSU senior Darrell Wonge scored 15 points in the win as well.  Roy Peake collected seven assists and Jamal Durham scored four points.

 

Last Action (Mar. 6 at South Carolina State)

Close games have been the norm for the Winston-Salem State Rams (12-17) and Thursday's game against the South Carolina State Bulldogs (12-19) was no different as the Rams took a hard-fought 73-71 loss in Orangeburg, SC, Thursday evening. The loss was a tough one for the Rams as the team led the way for most of the contest, but could not come away with the victory. 

 

Statistically, the Rams had a great night, shooting 40.0% from the floor in a road game and only turning the ball over nine times for the entire game. However, the team struggled to get key baskets when they needed them the most. WSSU junior forward Jamal Durham led the way for the Rams with a double-double 25 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

 

The Rams got things started early jumping out to an early, 11-7 lead over the Bulldogs on a tip-in by WSSU senior forward Darrell Wonge with 15:11 left to play in the first half. The WSSU lead would not last, however, South Carolina State reclaiming the lead, 13-12 on a jumper. The Bulldogs would use their home court edge to build a commanding eight-point lead, 22-14 with 8:41 left to play in the first half. The 9-2 South Carolina State run would not deter the Rams, however, as the team worked their way back into the ballgame. The Rams would run off eight unanswered points, capped off by a Fisher jumper with 7:13 left in the first half. The final minutes of the first half would see the Rams mount a furious surge, including going on a 9-0 run to close the half and take a 37-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.

 

The Rams' momentum from the first half carried over into the second half as the team built their largest lead of the night, 42-31 on a free throw by WSSU senior forward Darrell Wonge with 18:40 left to play. The Bulldogs would not go away, however, as the home team whittled the Rams' lead down to the seventh tie of the night, 45-45 with 14:17 left to play.

It was in the game's final minutes, the action heated up as the two teams continued to battle. With just over eight minutes left to play, the Rams found themselves trailing Bulldogs 57-55 with 8:07 left to play. WSSU freshman center Paul Davis would tie the game on a pair of free throws, however at the 7:40 mark. WSSU freshman Isiah Tucker would hit crucial three-pointer with 6:26 left to play that gave the Rams a 60-59 lead. The lead would not last however, with South Carolina State running off four unanswered points and taking command of the game 63-62. A steal by WSSU senior guard Roy Peake and a lay-up by WSSU junior Jamal Durham would get the Rams back into the game, 63-62 with 5:08 left to play.

 

The final five minutes were tough for both teams as stifling defense at both ends of the court held the two teams scoreless for the next two minutes of play. Back-to-back turnovers and a pair of missed free throws were all the Rams could manage during the span. The Bulldogs, however, would get a basket inside to go ahead 65-62, but a Durham three-pointer would tie the game, 65-65 with just over two minutes left to play.

 

The final minute of the game turned out to be a test of wills with WSSU sophomore guard Brian Fisher and South Carolina State junior center Julius Carter trading big shots in the game. Heading into the final minute of play, the Rams trailed by just one point as a missed dunk by the Bulldogs led to a breakaway lay-up by WSSU sophomore guard Brian Fisher that pulled the Rams to within one point, 67-68 with just under a minute left. Fisher would repeat the act ten seconds later to give the Rams a 69-68 lead with 36.8 seconds left to play. South Carolina State junior center Julius Carter would hit a lay-up inside that put the Bulldogs back ahead, 70-69 with 00:27 left to play. Following a missed Carter free throw, Fisher would put the Rams back on top, 71-70, but another tip-in by Carter would erase the WSSU lead and leave the Rams trailing, 72-71 with seven seconds left to play. WSSU freshman guard Isiah Tucker would draw a crucial South Carolina State foul with just three seconds left to play to give the Rams a chance for the win. Tucker would miss both free throws, however, and ended the Rams' chances for the win. One more South Carolina State free throw would seal the 73-71 loss for the Rams.

 

Senior Night

When the Rams take to the court versus North Carolina Central University on March 15, the Rams will say goodbye to a trio of seniors who will play in the final games of their WSSU careers.  Darrell Wonge, Greg Lewis and Roy Peake will close out the final game of their careers.

 

The Venue - RBC Center

The Rams and Eagles both have experience playing at the RBC Center, a venue in which the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament was played from 1999-2005.  The RBC Center seats 19,722 fans for basketball including 75 luxury suites and 2,000 club seats and opened on October 29, 1999 after a two-year construction phase that cost $158 million dollars.  It is the second largest arena in the Atlantic Coast Conference (serving home to the ACC's NC State Wolfpack) and is the 10th-largest arena in college basketball. 

 

Winless On The Road No More

The Rams picked up their first road win of the season against Howard on Feb. 16 - their first victory away from home since January 27, 2007 when they earned a 56-48 victory over Bethune-Cookman.  On the season, WSSU is 2-12 on the road. 

 

Neutral Site Games

The Rams are 1-0 in neutral site games this season as they earned a 68-58 come-from-behind win over Lipscomb on Nov. 10, WSSU's only neutral site game prior to Saturday's tilt with North Carolina Central.

 

Only 12 Field Goals

The Rams recorded a season-low 12 total field goals at Morgan State on Saturday, Feb. 9.  WSSU hit four field goals in the first half and eight field goals in the second half.   The Bears' 16 first-half field goals would prove to surpass the Rams' 12 total field goals by four buckets.

 

A Vast Improvement Over Last Year

Winston-Salem State has posted an 12-17 mark thus far this season which is a vast improvement over a 2006-07 season which saw them post a 5-24 overall record as the Rams hosted only six home contests.  The 2006-07 season saw the Rams travel over 25,000 miles as WSSU faced 15 different Division I conferences and four ranked opponents (Notre Dame, Georgetown, Kansas, and Georgia Tech).  This season the Rams have more than doubled 2006-07's win total of five games and Bobby Collins and his team have laid the foundation for a team that is proving to be very successful at the Division I level.

 

The 30-Point Club

Darrell Wonge's 30-point performance versus the Pirates of Hampton on Jan. 21 marks the first 30-point individual scoring performance by a Ram in WSSU's Division I era and is the first time a WSSU player scored 30 points since Audly Wehner recorded 30 points at North Carolina Central on Feb. 5, 2005 a span of nearly three years (1,080 days).

 

Injury Update

The Rams have only one player on the injury report as freshman forward/center Paul Davis first appeared on the injury report prior to the first North Carolina A&T game.  Davis has a stress fracture in the tibia in his right leg and the Sports Medicine staff has tried to limit Davis to a maximum of 20 minutes per game (10 minutes each half).  When Davis is not on the court for the Rams he is in a walking boot to protect the stress fracture.

 

Home Is Where The Heart Is

The Rams have hosted home games in three different venues this season.  WSSU is 9-5 at home this season, 3-3 in home games at the Coliseum Annex, 4-2 in home games at the LJVM Coliseum; and a perfect 2-0 in games at the C.E. Gaines Center.

 

Road Woes

The Rams posted their first win on the road on Feb. 16 against Howard. Prior to the victory, WSSU dropped nine contests on the road season and the closest WSSU came before Feb. 16th's win was a neutral site win over Lipscomb (68-58 from the American Family Insurance Cyclone Classic held at Iowa State on Nov. 10).

 

Lineup Shake-Up

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has used 12 different starting lineups this season with only one Ram, Darrell Wonge, starting every contest. Senior Roy Peake has started 27 of 29 games and Brian Fisher has started 17 of the 28 games in which he has appeared.  Jamal Durham has started 21 of the 29 games in which he has played as well.

 

Puckett's Buckets No More

Junior transfer Michael Puckett was as good, if not better, than advertised.  Puckett led the Rams in scoring three times in the Rams' first 11 games of the 2007-08 season and recorded six games this season where he scored in double-figures. 

Unfortunately for the Rams, Puckett was ruled academically ineligible (his GPA was too low) for the Spring semester of 2008 and will sit out the remainder of the Rams' season.

 

Commenting on Puckett's ineligibility, WSSU head coach Bobby Collins noted:  "We have to get others to step up more with Mike no longer out there.  It will be a big loss, but at the same time, we have some guys capable of filling his shoes."

 

Most Lopsided Win Since 1977-78

The 105-59 win over UMES on Jan. 12, a 46-point margin of victory marks the Rams' most lopsided win since a 111-58 win over the Delaware State University Hornets that came in the 1977-78 season.

 

Comeback Kids

The Rams' come-from-behind 78-76 victory over the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M (Dec. 17) marked the largest deficit of the season that the Rams have been able to overcome.  AAMU led the Rams by 19 points midway through the first half of play yet WSSU was able to battle back for a two-point victory.

 

Giving Up Double-Doubles

The Rams have surrendered a double-double performance to an opponent 13 times in 2007-08 and have posted a 4-9 record when doing so.

 

Morris Not Redshirting

Prior to the season, WSSU head coach Bobby Collins announced his intentions to redshirt Corey Morris, a freshman center.  However, Morris appeared in the contest versus Wake Forest and has since appeared in 16 more games for the Rams thus indicating that Coach Collins has decided not to redshirt the man they call "Big C".  Morris has made a pair of starts this season.

 

Home Sweet Home

The Rams, a team that posted 23 road games last season, has benefitted from 15 contests played in Winston-Salem, NC.  The Rams, who posted a 3-3 record in home games in 2006-07, have played 14 home games this season and have posted a 9-5 mark at home. The Rams played a "road" contest in their home arena when they faced the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest University on Nov. 23, 2007 and lost.

 

Been There, Done That

The Rams have faced teams from eight different Division I conferences this season.  WSSU has faced the Big 12 (Iowa State and Kansas State) twice and the MEAC 18 times and WSSU has faced the Atlantic Sun (Lipscomb), Atlantic 10 (Duquesne), Colonial Athletic Association (Georgia State), South Western Athletic Conference (Alabama A&M), Atlantic Coast Conference (Wake Forest), Western Athletic Conference (Fresno State), and the BIG EAST (USF) one time each.

 

Taking Charge

The Rams have taken 38 charges through 29 games of the 2007-08 season, an average of 1.31 charges taken per contest.  Seniors Darrell Wonge and Roy Peake lead the Rams with a team-high eight charges drawn.  Four other players have tallied at least three drawn charges this season.

 

Largest Lead

The Rams' largest lead of the season came on Jan. 12 when they led the Hawks of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore by 48 points.  That lead came only three days after the Rams had led the Pioneers of Columbia Union by 30 points.

 

No Action In The Early Signing Period

The Rams have no scholarships available as WSSU added six newcomers this past off season.  WSSU did not sign any student-athletes in the early signing period due to no scholarships being available. 

 

In, But Not Completely

Though the Rams are considered a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) they are unable to compete for a championship until the 2010-11 season (per NCAA reclassification mandates).  The Rams will play a full slate of MEAC games (18 conference games) but will be ineligible for a conference title, ineligible for postseason awards, and will not be listed in the MEAC statistics at seasons' end.

 

Movin' On Up

The Rams are currently in the third year of a five-year transition from the NCAA Division II level to the highest level of intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division I level.  In a drive to support rapid growth and attain higher visibility, the Board of Trustees at WSSU approved a plan for reclassification of the school's athletic programs to compete at the NCAA Division I level.  WSSU, formerly a member of NCAA Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) where they earned 10 conference titles and the 1967 National Championship, began the five-year reclassification process in 2005-06 and will complete the process in 2010-11.

 

Half-Dozen States

The 2007-08 WSSU men's basketball roster is comprised of team members from six different states.  The Rams have nine players from North Carolina (eight different cities) and one player each from the states of Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and Georgia.

 

Increased Size

The Rams will benefit from increased height on the roster this season as all seven newcomers to the WSSU roster are at least 6'1" or taller.  The Rams welcome the addition of a trio of players 6'8" (McIntoche Alcius at 6'8", Paul Davis at 6'9", and Corey Morris at 6'10") or taller and a pair of 6'4" guards (Vaudrey Funderburke and Michael Puckett) as well as adding the services of a 6'1" guard (Isiah Tucker).

 

62nd Year

The Rams have turned in an overall record of 1066-637 over the span of 61 completed seasons of men's basketball competition for a winning percentage of 62.6 percent. The Rams have turned in 49 winning seasons and have recorded only 10 losing seasons.

 

National Champions

Under the tutelage of legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines and behind the play of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, the Rams earned the 1967 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.  The 1967 Rams posted an overall record of 31-1 and defeated three top-10 teams in the National Championship tournament en route to the National Championship title.

 

The House That Gaines Built

Legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines coached at Winston-Salem State University from 1946-1993 and was a fixture at WSSU until his death on April 18, 2005.  Gaines coached the Rams for 48 seasons and posted an 828-447 overall record as well as leading the Rams to the 1967 National Championship.  He still ranks as the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA history and ranks as the all-time winningest African American head basketball coach in NCAA history.