Jan. 21, 2004
Petersburg, VA - Showing up to play only 15 minutes of basketball does not get the job done in the highly competitive CIAA and the Ram basketball team that ran through the motions in the first half of Wednesday's match-up with Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA found that out as WSSU fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first 20 minutes in an important CIAA basketball league contest. That lack of defensive intensity and effort ended up leading the Rams to their second straight loss, this time by the score of 73-66.
The Rams, despite shooting a better-than-average 52.4% from the floor in the first half of play, committed 12 turnovers and looked uninspired as they allowed the Trojans to control every aspect of the game.
Virginia State shot 56% from the floor and recorded four dunks and six lay-ups that would account for 10 of their 14 total field goals in the first 20 minutes of play as they took a commanding 11-point lead at the half, leading 39-28.
The lone first-half bright spot for the Rams was back to back CIAA Rookie of the Week recipient Audly Whener (Fr./F/6'5"/Fayetteville, NC) who led the Rams with 11 points on four for four shooting from the floor as well as going a blemish-free three for three from the line.
For the Trojans, all but one player on the roster would record at least two points in the first half of play and help the Trojans to their double-digit lead.
The second half of play started off as more of the same for the Rams. Multiple back-court violations, ten-second calls and untimely fouls plagued the Rams as they continued to spiral downward toward mediocrity during the first five minutes of play. That mediocrity, as every fan of CIAA basketball knows, does not prove successful in league play versus any of the other highly-talented CIAA basketball teams.
The Rams knew that they had to step up their play as they trailed by 14 points with just over 15 minutes of game time remaining, and that is exactly what they did.
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Playing with their usual defensive intensity once again proved successful and the Rams would eventual lead by one point after an 8-0 run that was capped by another Wehner inside post move. That bucket, which put the Rams ahead by a point, was Wehner's 16th straight made field goal (over the course of the past two games) and looked to give the Rams back control of the game.
However, the Rams would relinquish control of the game, and the lead, with three straight turnovers and once again found themselves trying to come from behind.
Another Ram run, capped by a pair of made free throws, courtesy of CIAA Rookie of the Week Audly Wehner gave the Rams a one-point lead with just over 30 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, the Trojan's found an unlikely hero in Ade Mason who hit an off balance 19-foot bank shot to give VSU the lead with 4.5 seconds remaining.
Without calling timeout, WSSU point guard Rashad McGee (Jr./G/5'10"/Waxhaw, NC) drove the length of the floor and kicked the ball to Wehner whose up and under move allowed him to gracefully make an off-balance lay-up to tie the score as time expired forcing overtime.
The overtime period saw the Rams run out of gas and go a paltry 2 -7 from the floor and ultimately fall to the Trojans in the extra frame.
The loss, the Rams second straight, and first two-game losing streak of the season, drops the Rams to 13-6 overall and 4-5 in the CIAA. Virginia State improves to 8-8 overall, 2-3 in the CIAA.
WSSU returns to action on Tuesday, January 27th, 2004 at 7:30 pm as they take on Fayetteville State University at the LJVM Coliseum Annex.
