Game Details

The Winston-Salem State University Rams (8-12) versus the Morgan State University Bears (13-8, 8-1 MEAC) at the Hill Field House (4,250 capacity) in Baltimore, Maryland on Feb. 9, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  The contest is a part of a MEAC doubleheader (but does not count in the standings) 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 teams that renewed a rivalry last season (2006-07).

Setting the Scene

Saturday's contest will mark the first contest between the two teams in 347 days as the last meeting between the two storied programs came on Jan. 5, 2007 at the Hill Field House in Baltimore, Maryland in a contest that saw the Rams fall in defeat to the Bears by the score of 53-50.  The Rams look to snap a one-game losing streak after they fell in defeat to Bethune-Cookman in their last action by the score of 60-50 at the Joel Coliseum Annex.  The Bears are riding a six-game win streak and have won seven of their last eight games.  MSU is coming off of a 64-59 win over defending MEAC regular-season champion Delaware State in their last action.

The Series In Depth (The Last Quarter-Century)

The Rams and Bears have met only one other time in the last quarter-century with Winston-Salem State trailing 0-1 in the series.  The two programs are no stranger to one another as both the Wildcats and the Rams are proud HBCU's who are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).  The Bears won the last meeting, and only matchup in the past 25 years, (Jan. 5, 2007) between the two teams.

Streaks

Winston-Salem State is riding a one-game losing streak after falling in defeat to Bethune-Cookman 60-50 in their last contest.  The Rams and the Wildcats saw the lead change hands seven times in the contest as visiting BCU earned the victory.  The Bears are riding a six-game win streak and have not lost since a 71-69 loss at Norfolk State on Jan. 14.  The Bears have won seven of their last nine games. 

Television Coverage

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

WSSU Radio Coverage

The Rams will broadcast the contest versus the Bears 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 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.

Morgan State Radio Coverage

The Bears will broadcast the contest versus the Rams live on the radio on WEAA 88.9 FM.  WEAA is the flagship station of the Bears Radio Network and will carry many of the Morgan State University games live in the Baltimore, MD area.  The game will be simulcast on the Internet at MorganStateBears.com.

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 Bears 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.  The Bears will broadcast a live statistical broadcast at MorganStateBears.com.

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 Bears is located at MorganStateBears.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 Morgan State University men's basketball contact is Leonard Haynes, IV, Sports Information Director.  Haynes, IV can be reached in the office at (443) 885-3831, on his cell phone at (240) 426-3572 and via email at lhaynesiv@aol.com.

National Rankings

Neither the Rams nor the Bears 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 (8-11)

The Rams hold an 8-12 record headed into Saturday's contest with the Bears as WSSU rides a one-game losing streak after falling in defeat to Bethune-Cookman 60-50 last Monday evening (Feb. 4). 

WSSU has two players averaging in double-figures in scoring as the Rams are led by junior forward Jamal Durham who is averaging 12.2 points per game.  Durham is shooting 42.7 percent from the field and is pulling down over five rebounds (5.2 rpg) per game. 

Joining Durham in double figures is senior forward Darrell Wonge who is turning in an average of 10.1 points per contest.  Wonge is adding 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting .462 from the field and .286 (18 of 63) from three point range.  Both players average over 25 minutes per game with Durham averaging 29.8 minutes per game and Wonge recording 26.0 minutes of playing time per contest.

WSSU is scoring 63.4 points per game and gives up 68.9 points to their opponents per contest.  The most disparaging factor for the Rams is a -5.8 rebounds per game rebounding deficit.  WSSU is averaging just 35.1 rebounds per contest while giving up 40.9 boards per game.

The rebounding deficit hurt the Rams in their last contest as BCU outrebounded the Rams 38-21 and converted 19 second-chance points.

The Book On Morgan State (13-8)

The Bears enter into the contest with the Rams sporting a 13-8 overall record and a league-leading 8-1 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Morgan State is riding a six-game win streak as they have won seven of their last eight games.  The Bears have not lost a game since a 71-69 loss at Norfolk State on Jan. 14.

Jamar Smith leads the Bears with 18.2 points per game as he leads three Morgan State players in double-figure scoring.  Reggie Holmes joins Smith with 13.7 points per game and Marquise Kately is chipping in with 12.7 points per contest. 

The Bears also have a stalwart rebounder in Boubacar Coly who is pulling down 10.7 rebounds per game and is adding 9.6 points per game as the 6'9", 220-pound forward from Ziguinchor, Senegal is averaging nearly a double-double per game.

The Bears are scoring 5.4 points per game more than their opponents as MSU is averaging 68.3 points per contest while surrendering only 62.9 points per contest.

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 78-93 overall record.  Collins has posted a 13-36 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 .456 winning percentage (.265 winning percentage at WSSU) with a win over Morgan State.

Second Season For Bozeman

The Bears are led by Todd Bozeman.  Bozeman is in his second season at the head of the Morgan State program and is in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach.  Bozeman has led Morgan State to a 13-8 overall record this season (8-1 MEAC) and has amassed a 26-26 overall record while at the head of the MSU program. Bozeman has amassed an 89-61 record in his six seasons as a head coach. 

Head-To-Head Coaching Matchup

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins and Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman have met only one time prior to Saturday's contest.  The meeting between the two programs will be the second head-to-head contest during each coaches' current coaching tenure.  Collins owns an 0-1 record all-time versus Bozeman but sports a 6-2 overall head coaching record versus Morgan State.

Collins Versus Morgan State

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has amassed an impressive career mark against the Bears as he has posted a career 6-2 record versus Morgan State.  Last year, Collins led the Rams to a 53-50 loss in Baltimore, Maryland.

Collins Versus the State of Maryland

Winston-Salem State University head coach Bobby Collins has posted an all-time career mark of 22-7 overall versus teams from the state of Maryland.  Collins has amassed a career record of 2-0 versus Columbia Union (Tacoma Park), a 5-3 record versus Coppin State (Baltimore), and 0-1 record versus Maryland (College Park), a 9-0 record versus Maryland-Eastern Shore (Princess Anne), a 6-2 record versus Morgan State (Baltimore), and an 0-1 record versus Towson (Towson).

Last Action

The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team was unable to overcome a tenacious Bethune-Cookman University squad and a 26-point offensive explosion by Dewayne Pettus as they fell in defeat to the Wildcats 60-50 at the Joel Coliseum Annex on Monday, Feb. 4.

Pettus, a 6'2", senior guard from Pittsburgh, PA proved to be too much for the Rams as he nearly single-handedly lifted the Wildcats to the win with a career-high 26 points, all but 11 of which came in the second half.

Carried by the play of their senior guard, the Wildcats pushed their lead to 10 points midway through the second half as Pettus scored 14 of Bethune-Cookman's first 17 points in the period.

Plagued by difficulties on the defensive glass the Rams were outrebounded nearly two-to-one (38 to 21) and allowed the Wildcats numerous second-chance opportunities yet WSSU was still able to trim the BCU lead to a manageable six points with just over three minutes remaining in the game.

It would prove not to be enough for the Rams as Joey Woods scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half as BCU escaped from Winston-Salem, NC with a 10-point victory.

Pettus led all scorers with 26 points, a career-high.  He tallied seven rebounds and recorded three steals in the win.  Joining Pettus in double-figures was Joey Woods with 12 points and Jimmy Hudson with 10 points.

Manic Mondays

The Rams have had their share of difficulties playing on Mondays this season.  Winston-Salem State has posted a 1-5 overall record on Monday in 2007-08.

Scoreless Only Once

Due to a bout with the flu, sophomore guard Brian Fisher was limited to only four minutes versus Norfolk State on Jan. 28 where he was held scoreless for the first time in his career.  Fisher scored in every game that he played in last season (28 games as he sat out one game for an unspecified violation of team rules) and scored in every game in 2007-08 except for the game on Jan. 28 (Fisher sat out one game this season with knee soreness). The sophomore guard scored eight points against FAMU on Feb. 2 and posted six points versus Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 4.

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 versus Morgan State on Saturday the Rams will stay in the city of Baltimore for Monday's game versus Coppin State.  WSSU will stay on the road for next weekend's games as they face Howard University on Saturday, Feb. 16 in Washington, D.C. and face Hampton University on Monday, Feb. 18 in Hampton, VA.

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 have only one player on the injury report as freshman forward/center Paul Davis first appeared on the injury report prior to the North Carolina A&T game.  Davis has a stress fracture in the tibia in his right leg and will be limited to a maximum of 20 minutes per game (10 minutes each half).  Davis did not play versus the Rattlers on Feb. 2 and played only 16 minutes versus Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 4.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

The Rams have hosted home games in three different venues this season.  WSSU is 7-5 at home this season, 1-3 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 seven 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). WSSU will look for its first road win on Feb. 9 when it faces Morgan State.

Lineup Shake-Up

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has used nine different starting lineups this season with only one Ram, Darrell Wonge, starting every contest.  Senior Roy Peake had his streak of 21 straight starts broken as he had started every contest this season prior to Saturday versus FAMU.  Sophomore guard Brian Fisher has started all but two games this year, while junior Jamal Durham has started the last eight games.

Peake's Streak Snapped

Senior guard Roy Peake saw his streak of 21 consecutive games started snapped versus the Rattlers of Florida A&M on Feb. 2.  Peake had started 21 straight games dating back to last season and had started 33 of the Rams' last 34 contests.  He missed his second consecutive start on Monday, Feb. 4 versus Bethune-Cookman.

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 6-3 overall record.  WSSU has posted a 2-9 record when they are held to less than 10 steals.

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 four halftime leads this season in games versus Georgia State, Ferrum College, Columbia Union and Florida A&M.

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 11 times in 2007-08 and have posted a 3-8 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 eight more games for the Rams thus indicating that Coach Collins has decided not to redshirt the man they call "Big C".

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 7-5 at home.

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) twice and the MEAC nine times and WSSU has 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.

Unfortunately, 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.

Taking Charge

The Rams have taken 32 charges through 20 games of the 2007-08 season, an average of 1.60 charges taken per contest.  Seniors Darrell Wonge and Roy Peake lead the Rams with a team-high six charges drawn.  Four other players have tallied at least three drawn charges this season.

Gotta Get The Shot Off

The Rams have failed to get a shot off during the 35 second shot clock limit 10 times this season.  The Rams have forced opponents to commit seven shot clock violations.

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 -5.8 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 2010-11 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 1062-632 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.