Jan. 3, 2006

Final Stats

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team moved to 1-1 in the CIAA (6-4 overall) on Tuesday evening as they defeated the Vikings of Elizabeth City State University by the score of 65-58 at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC.

The first half of play was a hard-fought battle between two competitive CIAA men's basketball teams that saw the Rams jump out to an early lead, one that they would not relinquish during the first 20 minutes of play. 

The Rams used 22 points in the paint to earn themselves a three-point lead, a cushion that they would take to the locker room for the halftime intermission. 

Eight different WSSU players tallied points during the contest's first 20 minutes of play as WSSU head coach Philip Stitt went to his bench early and often during the first period, a strategy that netted the home-team Rams 18 first-half bench points.

Both teams shot well from the field as the Rams and Vikings each turned in first-half shooting percentages above 50% as WSSU connected on 55.6% of their field-goal attempts while ECSU shot marginally better at 57.9%.

Second-half action lent itself to even more high-intensity CIAA basketball excitement as the two teams continued to trade blows with neither team relenting on either the offensive or defensive ends of the hardwood.

The two teams would never be separated by more than seven points during the half as they both engaged in an offensive display of "can-you-top-this" as both the Vikings and Rams answered the challenges mounted by their opponent.

The host-team Rams, by virtue of a staunch defense that forced 18 Elizabeth City State turnovers, secured the victory, their sixth of the season, as they evened their CIAA record at 1-1.

Leading the way for WSSU was freshman sensation Jamal Durham who tallied 16 points in the win as he led three Rams in double-figures.  The ECSU Vikings were led by Mitchell Moffat who tallied a team-high 11 points, seven points of which came in the second half of play.

With the win, the Rams improve to 6-4 overall and move their league mark to .500 at 1-1.  The Vikings fall to 2-5 overall and fall to 0-1 in the CIAA.

The Rams return to action on Thursday, January 5, 2006 as they square-off against the #1 team in NCAA Division II, the Panthers of Virginia Union University.

Last season's meeting between the two teams was one in which the Rams knocked off the then-#1 Panthers in Winston-Salem, NC.  The Panthers then went on to capture the 2005 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.  Game time for Thursday's contest at the newly renovated Barco-Stevens Arena is slated for 7:30 pm.

For additional information on WSSU men's basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com

- wssurams.com -