Rams Hammer Vikings In Elizabeth City 60-46 As WSSU Wins Second Straight Game
Jan. 6, 2005
Elizabeth City, NC - Basketball was the topic of conversation on the campus of Winston-Salem State University after the Rams' victory over the previously unbeaten and #1 ranked Panthers of Virginia Union on Tuesday, and after WSSU's performance on Thursday evening in Elizabeth City, NC, it is sure to continue to be, as WSSU won their second straight conference game by earning a 60-46 victory over the Elizabeth City State University Vikings in an intra-division CIAA basketball matchup.
The team that took the floor on Thursday evening looked exactly like the team that defeated #1 Virginia Union on January 4th as WSSU once again came out with guns blazing, hitting shots from all over the court.
The Rams used another stellar shooting half from three-point range to pull ahead early as WSSU would successfully connect on five of their seven shots from long range (71.4%) during the game's first 20 minutes of play.
WSSU was not only hot from behind the arch as they hit 65.0% of their shots from the field in the first half, making 13 of their first 20 field goal attempts.
Junior guard Alleggrie Guinn was once again the catalyst for the Rams as he scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the contest's first half, connecting on two of his three attempts from long range.
Following Guinn's lead, the Rams would never trail in the game, and the game's only tie would be the 0-0 deadlock at the opening tip as WSSU took a nine-point lead to the locker room at halftime.
WSSU would come out of the locker room and look as though they had never left the court after the first half, using a 6-0 lead to effectively end ECSU's hope for a comeback attempt.
The Rams continued to use a consistent effort on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court for the next ten minutes of play, eventually pushing their lead to as many as 19 points at 51-34 on an Audly Wehner free throw with 8:46 remaining in the game.
Elizabeth City State would fall short on one last bid for a comeback and the Rams would cruise to the win, their sixth straight victory over the Vikings, extending the ECSU victory drought against WSSU to five seasons.
Leading the way for the Rams was Guinn who scored 18 points in the contest to lead all scorers. He was joined by Frank Johnson with 11 points and Darnell Gregory with eight.
Leading the way for the Vikings was Courtney Castro with 11 points as he was the only Viking player to break into double-digits in scoring as ECSU shot a mediocre 39.0% (16 for 41) from the field in the loss.
With the win, the Rams improve to 9-4 overall and remain perfect in the CIAA at 2-0. The Vikings fall to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in the CIAA with the loss.
WSSU returns to action on Tuesday, January 11th, 2005 as they travel to Raleigh, NC to take on the Falcons of Saint Augustine's College, a team that has posted five straight wins over the Rams. Tip-off for that game, the first CIAA Western Division contest for WSSU, 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
