Feb. 8, 2005
Winston-Salem, NC - It took the Rams overtime to accomplish their goal of atoning for their only CIAA loss of the season to date as they defeated the Saint Augustine's College Falcons at the LJVM Coliseum Annex by the score of 78-74 in front over 3,100 fans to move to 16-5 on the season (9-1 CIAA, 4-1 CIAA West) on Tuesday evening.
The Rams, who have now won seven straight games and sit at an unblemished 3-0 in overtime this season, made up for a loss to the Falcons that occurred in Raleigh, NC on January 11th, 2005 by handing Saint Augustine's their 13th loss of the season.
WSSU, whose last loss came at the hands of those Falcons, would need to overcome a 14-point Falcon lead in the first half as Saint Augustine's would lead the contest 31-17 with six minutes remaining in the first period of play.
However, WSSU would close out the final six minutes of play in the first half with a 13-3 run to slice their deficit to only four points at the halftime intermission as they trailed the visiting Falcons by the score of 34-30.
WSSU would turn things around in the early going of the second half as they turned a four-point deficit into a 12-point lead midway through the second period, ultimately leading the contest 57-45 with 10:02 to play.
Looking to be in control of the contest, the Rams made what could have proven to be a costly mistake as they gradually let the Falcons chip away at their lead.
Saint Augustine's would cut the lead to only six points when a pair of WSSU mistakes left the door wide open for game-high scorer Claude Neeley (30 points) and the Falcons.
A charging violation and costly 10-second call, resulted in a pair of SAC field goals that would slice the WSSU cushion to only a single point with 1:20 to play.
A pair of Alleggrie Guinn free throws would push it to a three-point margin before Neeley would again come up big with a long range shot, this time at the final horn, to tie the contest and force overtime.
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The overtime period was a see-saw affair that ultimately saw both teams lead. It would be WSSU however, that used freshman Roy Peake's long-range three-pointer and a pair of free throws, to ice the contest, as WSSU moved to 16-5 on the season and earned their seventh consecutive win.
Leading the way for the Rams was Alleggrie Guinn who tallied 27 points in the contest and now sits only 35 points away from 1,000 career points at WSSU. He was joined in double figures by Audly Wehner who recorded 19 points and five rebounds in the game.
Saint Augustine's was led by Claude Neely and his 30 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field. He also had seven rebounds in his 35 minutes of action.
With the win, the Rams improve to 16-5 overall and 9-1 in the CIAA (4-1 CIAA West) while the Falcons fall to 8-13 overall and 5-8 in the CIAA (3-4 CIAA West).
WSSU will return to action on Thursday, February 10th, 2005 at 7:30 pm as they play host to Livingstone College at the C.E. Gaines Center.
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
