Nov. 30, 2005

Final Stats

Bowie, MD -  Derick Payne  scored a career high 21 points and helped guide Bowie State to 80-71 home win over the Rams of Winston-Salem State University at A.C. Jordan Arena in Bowie, MD on Tuesday evening.  The victory was the first conference win of the season (1-0) and improved the Bulldogs to 3-2 overall while the Rams fall to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the CIAA.

The Bulldogs led from beginning to end, leading by as many as 18 points (28-10) during the first 20 minutes of play.  Bowie State jumped to an 8-0 lead before Winston-Salem State scored their first points, courtesy of two free throws by Corey Parker (Jacksonville, NC) at the 15:53 mark of the first half.  BSU burned the A.C. Jordan Arena nets at a 61 percent clip before intermission, hitting 17 of 28 field goal attempts.  However, Winston-Salem State shot a horrific 29 percent in the first half en route to a hefty halftime deficit.

Winston-Salem State (2-3 / 0-1 in the CIAA) slowly chipped away at their 42-26 halftime deficit, cutting the Bowie State lead to two (52-50) with 10:25 left to play in the game.   The Bulldogs pushed their lead back up to double digits over the span of the next five minutes.  The Rams made another run late in the final period, coming to within six twice at 71-65 and again at 73-67.  However, the reigning CIAA Eastern Division Champion Bulldogs had enough in the tank to hold on for the win.

Other than Payne's 21, Thomas Hawkins was the only other Bulldog to score in double figures (14 points).  Alleggrie Guinn paced the Rams with 21 points and Darrell Wonge added 17 points for visiting WSSU.

The Bulldogs are idle until Friday's (12/2) opening-round matchup of the C.E. Gaines Basketball Classic at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. 

For more information on WSSU men's basketball or this weekend's Gaines Basketball Classic, 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 -