Jan. 24, 2008

COMPLETE GAME NOTES

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The Winston-Salem State University Rams return to action on Saturday at the Corbett Center in Greensboro, NC as they face in-state rival North Carolina A&T in a MEAC league contest between the two foes who are located only 31 miles apart.

 

Game Details

The Winston-Salem State University Rams (8-9) versus the North Carolina A&T State University Aggies (8-9, 3-2 MEAC) at the Corbett Center (5,700 capacity) in Greensboro, North Carolina on Jan. 26, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  The contest is a part of a MEAC doubleheader with the WSSU Lady Rams taking to the court at 2:00 pm.  The men's game will tip-off 20 minutes after the completion of the women's contest.  The meeting will mark a contest between a pair of bitter rivals separated by only 31 miles of Interstate 40.

 

Setting the Scene

Saturday's contest will mark the first contest between the two teams in 10 years as the last meeting between the two storied programs came during the 1997-98 season in a contest that the Aggies won in Winston-Salem, NC by the score of 68-66.  The two teams are no stranger to one another as they played annually during the late 80's and early 90's.  The Rams will meet the Aggies on Saturday for the first time as a Division I program.

 

The Series In Depth

The Rams and Aggies have met 63 times in history with the all-time series slanted in favor of the Rams 35-28.  The two teams have not met since the 1997-98 season with Winston-Salem State falling in defeat at home in the last meeting by the score of 68-66.  The Aggies have won the last four meetings, eight of the last 10 meetings, and have won 13 of the last 15 head-to-head contests with WSSU.  The Rams have not defeated the Aggies twice in the same year since the 1979-80 season.  The two teams will meet for the first time as Division I programs on Saturday afternoon at the Corbett Center.  The two programs are no stranger to one another as both the Aggies and the Rams were long-time members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) as members of NCAA Division II.

 

Streaks

WSSU has continued to flip-flop wins and losses over the past two weeks, a span of four games.  With the Rams' loss to Hampton on Monday, Jan. 21, WSSU is currently riding a one-game losing streak.  The Rams haven't lost consecutive games since losses at Kansas State and USF on Dec. 22 and Dec. 29 respectively.  The Rams have already surpassed last season's win total of five games.  The Aggies are currently riding a two-game win streak as they have posted consecutive wins for the first time since Nov. 19-Nov. 24.  The Aggies are enjoying a two-game run after snapping a five-game losing streak.   

 

Television Coverage

There will be no live television broadcast of the game between the Rams and the Aggies.

 

WSSU Radio Coverage

The Rams will broadcast the game live on the radio on WSNC 90.5 FM.  WSNC is the flagship station of the Rams Radio Broadcasting Network and will carry all WSSU home games live on the radio in the greater Winston-Salem, NC area and worldwide on the Internet at www.WSSU.edu. Alan Chavous will provide all the play-by-play action with Kim Spears providing the color analysis.

 

NC A&T Radio Coverage

The Aggies will not broadcast the contest between WSSU and NC A&T on the radio.

 

Live Statistical Broadcast

WSSU partners with CSTV Online and the Office of Athletic Media Relations will air a live statistical broadcast of the game between the Rams and the Hornets on the Internet utilizing CSTV's GAMETRACKER software application. WSSU's live statistical broadcast will be available at WSSURams.com. The broadcast is free of charge to any viewer wishing to take advantage of the live statistics feature.

 

Websites

WSSURAMS.com, the official website for Winston-Salem State University athletics is the 24-hour-a-day home for breaking news, in-depth features, and colorful and informative commentary on the Rams.  WSSURAMS.com brings every Ram fan close to all the action with exclusive interviews, stories and photos of WSSU athletes and coaches, unrivaled interactive game day coverage, and a vast archive of historical and biographical information.  If it's going on in the world of WSSU Athletics, you can find it at WSSURAMs.com, the online home of the Rams.  The Official Athletic Site of the Aggies is located at NCATAggies.com.

 

Whom To Contact

The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball contact is Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations, Chris Zona. Zona can be reached in the office at (336) 750-2143, on his cell phone at (336) 416-6452 or via email at zonac@wssu.edu.  The NC A&T men's basketball contact is Brian Holloway, Sports Information Director.  Holloway can be reached in the office at (336) 334-7141, on his cell phone at (336) 328-6719 and via email at bmhollow@ncat.edu.

 

National Rankings

Neither the Rams nor the Aggies are ranked in either the AP Top 25 poll or ESPN/USA Today poll.  Neither team has been ranked this season, and neither have received votes in 2007-08.  Neither team has defeated a ranked team.

 

The Book On WSSU (7-9)

The Rams head to Greensboro, NC looking for a win over their arch-rival the North Carolina A&T Aggies.  WSSU sports a 7-9 overall record and is riding a one-game losing streak after falling to Hampton at the LJVM Coliseum on Monday afternoon.

 

Despite the loss in their last game, the Rams have several bright spots headed into the weekend as three WSSU players are averaging double-digits in scoring at the same time for the first time in seven seasons.

 

Fresh off of his 30-point performance, the first 30-point tally by a player in the WSSU Division I era, Darrell Wonge checks in with 10.0 points per game.  Wonge is joined in double figures by sophomore guard Brian Fisher (10.4 ppg) and team scoring leader Jamal Durham (11.2 points per game).

 

The Rams have cut their scoring margin deficit to a manageable -4.3 points per game and are shooting nearly 40 percent from the field (.390) as WSSU has entered into MEAC league play.  As well WSSU has sliced its rebounding deficit to only -6.4 rebounds per contests as WSSU is pulling down 35.1 rebounds per contest. 

 

WSSU is still looking for their first road win as the Rams have dropped all five games away from home this season (excluding neutral site games) with Saturday's road contest at NC A&T marking the Rams' first league game away from home.

 

The Book On North Carolina A&T (8-9)

The Aggies enter into the Saturday's contest as one of the MEAC's hottest teams as they are riding a two-game win streak and are coming off of a win over defending MEAC regular-season champion Delaware State on Jan.21.

 

NC A&T averages 70.9 points per game and is giving up only 74.6 points per contest as the Aggies look to push the ball upcourt in an up-tempo transition game.  The Aggies are shooting an astounding 44.7 percent from the field as they have posted an 8-9 overall record heading into the weekend's action.

 

Steven Rush leads NC A&T with 15.1 points per game and is a deadly scorer from behind the three-point arch.  Of Rush's 83 field goals, 46 of them have been three-pointers as he is hitting 31.5 percent of his long-range attempts.

 

The Aggies have posted a 3-1 record at home and have tasted defeat in the Corbett Center only once in 2007-08 in a contest that was won by visiting Morgan State University on Jan. 12. 

 

NC A&T, a team that has won 13 of the last 15 meetings with WSSU, looks to win their fourth consecutive game over the Rams.

 

Season Two For Collins

The 2007-08 season marks the second season at WSSU for head coach Bobby Collins.  Collins, a 1991 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, enters into his sixth season as a Division I collegiate head coach and brings with him his 77-90 overall record.  Collins has posted an 12-33 overall record as head coach of the Rams. However, in his five seasons as the head coach at Hampton University (prior to coming to WSSU) he led the Pirates to a 65-57 overall record, three MEAC title-game appearances, a MEAC championship (2006), and an NCAA Tournament berth (2006).  Collins looks to improve upon his .461 winning percentage (.266 winning percentage at WSSU) with a win over North Carolina A&T.

 

Fifth Season For Eaves

The Aggies are led by head coach Jerry Eaves who is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Aggies' men's basketball program.  Eaves has posted a record of 38-98 while at NC A7T and has posted an identical career mark.  Coach Eaves has never faced the Rams in head-to-head action and has posted a 1-5 mark versus WSSU head coach Bobby Collins during his career.

 

Head-To-Head Coaching Matchup

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins and NC A&T head coach Jerry Eaves have faced one another in head-to-head coaching action six times with Collins earning five wins.  Eaves won the two-coaches' last head-to-head meeting as the Aggies beat the Collins-led Hampton Pirates 65-60 on Feb. 27, 2006 in Greensboro, NC.  The meeting between the two programs will be the seventh head-to-head contest during each coaches' coaching tenure.

 

A Little Something Extra

Saturday's contest is more than just a basketball game.  An old-fashioned grudge match between two opponents that haven't faced one another in 10 years is just the beginning of the rivalry between the Aggies and Rams.

 

WSSU and NC A&T have a rivalry that dates back to the 1947-48 season when the two schools first met on the hardwood and split a pair of contests.  WSSU has had athletic success over the Aggies as of late as the Rams have earned back-to-back wins over NC A&T on the football field and many feel that I-40 athletic supremacy and bragging rights are on the line.

 

*Note - The first meeting between the Aggies and the Rams on the football field came during the 1944 season.

 

Collins Versus North Carolina A&T

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has amassed an impressive career mark over the Aggies as he has posted a career 7-1 record versus NC A&T.  Collins reeled off seven consecutive wins to start his head-to-head coaching career versus the Aggies before dropping the last contest (in his final season coaching the Pirates of Hampton) on Feb. 27, 2006 by the score of 65-60. 

 

Collins Versus the State of North Carolina

Winston-Salem State University head coach Bobby Collins has posted an all-time career mark of 7-6 versus teams from the state of North Carolina.  Collins has posted an 0-1 mark versus Davidson, and 0-1 mark versus East Carolina, an 0-1 mark versus UNC-Greensboro, and 0-2 mark versus Wake Forest and a 7-1 mark versus North Carolina A&T.

 

Last Action

The Rams are coming off of a 64-62 loss to Hampton on Jan. 21 at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC.  WSSU led by as many as seven points in the second half but the Rams were unable to hang on as the Pirates snuck out a road win as WSSU shot a dismal 26.7 percent in the game's final 20 minutes of play.

 

WSSU forced 21 Hampton turnovers and got a career-high 30 points from senior forward Darrell Wonge as Wonge became the first player in the WSSU Division I era to record 30 points in a game. 

 

Jamal Durham chipped in with nine points and Brian Fisher had eight yet the Rams were unable to overcome a 17 points output from Hampton's Rashad West who led four HU players in double-figures as the Pirates escaped Winston-Salem, NC with a win.

 

A Look Back At Last Year

Winston-Salem State returns to the court in 2007-08 on the heels of a 2006-07 season which saw them post a 5-24 overall record as the Rams hosted only six home contests.  The 2006-07 season saw the Rams travel over 25,000 miles as WSSU faced 15 different Division I conferences and four ranked opponents (Notre Dame, Georgetown, Kansas, and Georgia Tech).

 

Next Up

Following the Rams' game at North Carolina A&T, WSSU will hit the road for a trip to Norfolk, Virginia as they face the Spartans of Norfolk State University at Echols Hall on Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 at 8:00 pm.  WSSU will return home on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4 as they host Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman and will then head out on the road for four straight games (at Morgan State, at Coppin State, at Howard, at Hampton).

 

Even Further Ahead

The Rams follow up Jan. 26th's contest at North Carolina A&T by heading out on the road for a matchup with the Spartans of Norfolk State University on Jan. 28 in Norfolk, VA.  The Rams will look to extend their win streak over NSU to two games as WSSU looks to add another win to its record against a team (the Spartans) which gave WSSU their first-ever Division I win last season.  The meeting, an 8:00 pm affair from Echols Hall on the campus of Norfolk State University, promises to be another heated MEAC league contest.

 

Less Hostile Than Usual

The Rams will benefit from a quieter Corbett Center on Saturday as they travel to the campus of North Carolina A&T where neither the WSSU nor the NC A&T band will be in attendance.  Both the Rams' and Aggies' bands will be in Atlanta, Ga. competing in the Honda Battle of the Bands competition.

 

The 30-Point Club

Darrell Wonge's 30-point performance versus the Pirates of Hampton on Jan. 21 marks the first 30-point individual scoring performance by a Ram in WSSU's Division I era and is the first time a WSSU player scored 30 points since Audly Wehner recorded 30 points at North Carolina Central on Feb. 5, 2005 a span of nearly three years (1,080 days).

 

Injury Update

The Rams are completely healthy heading into the contest with the Aggies.  Other than the normal "bumps and bruises" WSSU is injury-free.  Not a single WSSU roster player appears on the injury report.

 

Home Is Where The Heart Is

The Rams have hosted home games in three different venues this season.  WSSU is 6-4 at home this season, 1-2 in home games at the Coliseum Annex, 4-2 in home games at the LJVM Coliseum; and a perfect 2-0 in games at the C.E. Gaines Center.

 

Not Road Warriors

The Rams have yet to post a win on the road in 2007-08.  WSSU has dropped all five contests on the road this season and the closest WSSU has come to posting a road win is a neutral site win over Lipscomb (68-58 from the American Family Insurance Cyclone Classic held at Iowa State on Nov. 10).

 

Puckett's Buckets No More

Junior transfer Michael Puckett was as good, if not better, than advertised.  Puckett led the Rams in scoring three times in the Rams' first 11 games of the 2007-08 season and recorded six games this season where he scored in double-figures.  

 

Unfortunately for the Rams, Puckett was ruled academically ineligible (his GPA was too low) for the Spring semester of 2008 and will sit out the remainder of the Rams' season.

 

Commenting on Puckett's ineligibility, WSSU head coach Bobby Collins noted:  "We have to get others to step up more with Mike no longer out there.  It will be a big loss, but at the same time, we have some guys capable of filling his shoes."

 

Most Lopsided Win Since 1977-78

The 105-59 win over UMES, a 46-point margin of victory marks the Rams' most lopsided win since a 111-58 win over the Delaware State University Hornets that came in 1977-78 season.

 

Gotta Get To 10

When the Rams record 10 or more steals in a game they have posted a 5-2 overall record.  WSSU has posted a 2-7 record when they are held to less than 10 steals.

 

Floyd Back In Action

Sophomore guard Darius Floyd sat out the Rams' contest versus Columbia Union for an unspecified violation of team rules.  As expected he returned to the Rams' lineup for the contest versus Maryland-Eastern Shore.  Floyd has recorded one minute of playing time since being suspended.  He failed to appear in the Rams' loss to Delaware State (coaches' decision) but returned to his old form versus Howard where he had eight points in 17 minutes of playing time and versus Hampton where he tallied five points and three rebounds in 10 minutes of work.

 

Finally Held A Lead

The Rams' 67-61 win over Georgia State (Dec. 8) marked the first time that WSSU was able to hold on to a halftime lead in 2007-08.  WSSU held a five-point edge at the break versus GSU and held on for a six-point win.  WSSU has blown a pair of halftime leads, including a season-high 10-point advantage that they squandered in a loss to Fresno State.  The Rams have held on to a trio of halftime leads this season in games versus Georgia State, Ferrum and Columbia Union.

 

Comeback Kids

The Rams' come-from-behind 78-76 victory over the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M (Dec. 17) marked the largest deficit of the season that the Rams have been able to overcome.  AAMU led the Rams by 19 points midway through the first half of play yet WSSU was able to battle back for a two-point victory.

 

Giving Up Double-Doubles

The Rams have surrendered a double-double performance to an opponent 10 times in 2007-08 and have posted a 3-7 record when doing so.

 

Morris Not Redshirting

Prior to the season, WSSU head coach Bobby Collins announced his intentions to redshirt Corey Morris, a freshman center.  However, Morris appeared in the contest versus Wake Forest and has since appeared in seven more games for the Rams thus indicating that Coach Collins has decided not to redshirt the man they call "Big C".

 

"Big C" Makes First Start

Corey Morris made the first start of his career in the Rams' loss on Saturday, Dec. 29 at the University of South Florida.  Morris has now appeared in eight games for the Rams.

 

Lineup Shake-Up

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has used seven different starting lineups this season and not a single player on the WSSU roster has started every contest.  Seniors Roy Peake and Darrell Wonge have started 15 of 16 contests and sophomore guard Brian Fisher has started all but two games this year.

 

Home Sweet Home

The Rams, a team that posted 23 road games last season, will benefit from 15 contests played in Winston-Salem, NC.  The Rams, who posted a 3-3 record in home games in 2006-07, will play 14 home games this season. The Rams played a "road" contest in their home arena when they faced the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest University on November 23, 2007.  This season the Rams have turned in a record of 6-4 at home.

 

Highs A Plenty

The Rams' 82-61 win over Columbia Union on Jan. 9 helped to set new season or career highs for seven players on the current WSSU roster.

 

•   Paul Davis had a career-high 12 total rebounds and a career-high 10 defensive rebounds.

•   Jamal Durham posted a season-high seven made field goals versus Columbia Union.

•   Vaudrey Funderburke tallied a career-high five points and career-high three rebounds.

•   Greg Lewis had a career high four rebounds versus Columbia Union.

•   Corey Morris had a career high six points versus Columbia Union in only four minutes of playing time.

•   Julian Murphy-Long had a season-high four points and two rebounds versus Columbia Union.

•   Isiah Tucker, playing in place of the suspended Darius Floyd, tallied a career-high 27 minutes.

 

Been There, Done That

The Rams have faced teams from eight different Division I conferences this season.  WSSU has faced the Big 12 (Iowa State and Kansas State), and MEAC four times and have faced the Atlantic Sun (Lipscomb), Atlantic 10 (Duquesne), Colonial Athletic Association (Georgia State), South Western Athletic Conference (Alabama A&M), Atlantic Coast Conference (Wake Forest), Western Athletic Conference (Fresno State), and the BIG EAST (USF) one time each.

 

Put That Behind Him

Darrell Wonge, a player that went scoreless for the first time in his career in the Rams' loss at Kansas State on Dec. 22, has rebounded well as he recorded his second double-digit scoring output of the season versus the University of South Florida where he recorded 11 points.  Wonge has posted six consecutive double-digit scoring performances since that scoreless performance at K-State and tallied 30 points versus Hampton.

 

Not The First Time

The Rams' loss at USF marked the third time this season that the Rams have trailed by 30 points or more.  WSSU has trailed USF, Duquesne and Kansas State by at least 30 points.

 

Up Three On The Sunshine State

With the loss at USF, WSSU head coach Bobby Collins' coaching record versus teams from the State of Florida falls to 12-9 overall.  Collins has posted a 7-2 record versus Bethune-Cookman (Daytona Beach, Fla.), has posted a 5-5 record versus Florida A&M (Tallahassee, Fla.), and has posted an 0-2 record versus USF (Tampa, Fla.).

 

Taking Charge

The Rams have 28 charges taken through 16 games of the 2007-08 season, an average of 1.75 charges taken per contest.  Senior forward Darrell Wonge leads the Rams with a team-high five charges drawn.  Four other players have tallied at least three drawn charges this season.

 

Gotta Get The Shot Off

Versus the Bulls of USF on Dec. 29 the Rams allowed the shot clock to expire one time moving WSSU's season total for shot clock violations to eight.  Over the past four contests the Rams have not had a shot clock violation.

 

Second Half Not Kind

In WSSU's loss at USF on Dec. 29 the Rams surrendered a season-high 55 points in the second half.  The 55-points surrendered eclipsed the 51-point second half that WSSU allowed at Kansas State on Dec. 22.

 

Fourth Big One

The Rams' loss at USF on Dec. 29 marked the fourth time this season that the Rams lost to an opponent by 17 or more points (see chart on page 8).  WSSU dropped decisions at Duquesne (30 points), Wake Forest (20 points), Kansas State (42 points), and USF (39 points) by more than 17 points.

 

Large Deficits

The Rams trailed USF by 43 points with 2:47 to play in the contest on Dec. 29.  That 43-point deficit nearly tied the largest deficit of the season that came on Dec. 22 when the Rams trailed Kansas State by a season-high 44 points.

 

Largest Lead

The Rams' largest lead of the season came on Jan. 12 when they led the Hawks of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore by 48 points.  That lead came only three days after the Rams had led the Pioneers of Columbia Union by 30 points.

 

Glass Matters

The Rams surrendered 53 rebounds at USF on Dec. 29.  That rebounding total is the most that any opponent has recorded versus the Rams this season eclipsing the 52 rebounds that K-State pulled down versus WSSU on Dec. 22.  That total includes 21 offensive boards, the exact same number of offensive rebounds that WSSU surrendered to the Wildcats.  Headed into this Saturday's contest, the Rams are facing a rebounding deficit of -6.4 rebounds per contest.

 

No Action In The Early Signing Period

The Rams have no scholarships available as WSSU added six newcomers this past off season.  WSSU did not sign any student-athletes in the early signing period due to no scholarships being available. 

 

In, But Not Completely

Though the Rams are considered a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) they are unable to compete for a championship until the 2009-10 season (per NCAA reclassification mandates).  The Rams will play a full slate of MEAC games (18 conference games) but will be ineligible for a conference title, ineligible for postseason awards, and will not be listed in the MEAC statistics at seasons' end.

 

Movin' On Up

The Rams are currently in the third year of a five-year transition from the NCAA Division II level to the highest level of intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division I level.  In a drive to support rapid growth and attain higher visibility, the Board of Trustees at WSSU approved a plan for reclassification of the school's athletic programs to compete at the NCAA Division I level.  WSSU, formerly a member of NCAA Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) where they earned 10 conference titles and the 1967 National Championship, began the five-year reclassification process in 2005-06 and will complete the process in 2010-11.

 

Half-Dozen States

The 2007-08 WSSU men's basketball roster is comprised of team members from six different states.  The Rams have nine players from North Carolina (eight different cities) and one player each from the states of Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and Georgia.

 

Increased Size

The Rams will benefit from increased height on the roster this season as all seven newcomers to the WSSU roster are at least 6'1" or taller.  The Rams welcome the addition of a trio of players 6'8" (McIntoche Alcius at 6'8", Paul Davis at 6'9", and Corey Morris at 6'10") or taller and a pair of 6'4" guards (Vaudrey Funderburke and Michael Puckett) as well as adding the services of a 6'1" guard (Isiah Tucker).

 

Do It Again As Sophomores?

The 2006-07 WSSU Rams were led in scoring by freshmen 18 times.  Darius Floyd led the Rams in scoring seven times and Brian Fisher led the Rams in scoring eleven times as first-year players combined for nearly 38 percent of the total offense from last season's team.  Bobby Collins and the Rams will rely heavily on the pair of talented sophomore guards this season.  This season Floyd has led the Rams in scoring once while Fisher has led the team in points twice.

 

62nd Year

The Rams have turned in an overall record of 1061-629 over the span of 61 completed seasons of men's basketball competition for a winning percentage of 62.7%.  The Rams have turned in 49 winning seasons and have recorded only 10 losing seasons.

 

National Champions

Under the tutelage of legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines and behind the play of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, the Rams earned the 1967 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.  The 1967 Rams posted an overall record of 31-1 and defeated three top-10 teams in the National Championship tournament en route to the National Championship title.

 

The House That Gaines Built

Legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines coached at Winston-Salem State University from 1946-1993 and was a fixture at WSSU until his death on April 18, 2005.  Gaines coached the Rams for 48 seasons and posted an 828-447 overall record as well as leading the Rams to the 1967 National Championship.  He still ranks as the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA history and ranks as the all-time winningest African American head basketball coach in NCAA history.