Feb. 19, 2005

Winston-Salem, NC - The Winston-Salem State University Rams will take their 19-5 overall record and put it on the line versus the Fayetteville State University Broncos at the LJVM Coliseum on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm as they look to win their 11th consecutive game. WSSU has already clinched a first-round bye in the upcoming CIAA basketball tournament and has locked up their first Western Division regular-season title since the 1999-2000 season.

WSSU Update...The Rams are currently sporting an 19-5 overall record, and have moved to 12-1 in the CIAA (6-1 CIAA West) with Tuesday's 66-59 overtime win over Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC. WSSU is riding a ten-game win streak, their lonest streak since a 12-game streak during the 2000-01 season and is now receiving votes in the weekly NABC Division II national polls. The Rams are sitting alone atop the CIAA's Western Division as WSSU has only one conference loss, to the Falcons of Saint Augustine's. The Rams have already clinched the regular-season CIAA Western Division Title.

WSSU vs. Fayetteville State - The First Meeting Of 2004-05...The Rams and Broncos met on February 1st, 2005 at Capel Arena in Fayetteville, NC. WSSU won that meeting by the score of 74-64.

Rams Vs. Broncos...Meeting two of two during the 2004-05 regular season...Sunday's game is the second game of the evening with the women's contest immediately before the game...WSSU is ranked #4 in the South Atlantic Region with four other CIAA teams also ranked...Rams enter the game on a ten-game winning streak, as WSSU hasn't lost since January 11th...Fayetteville State enter the contest riding a four-game losing streak...Rivalry between the Rams and Broncos has heated up as of late, as Fayetteville State has won only three of the last 12 meetings...WSSU won the last head-to-head meeting on February 1st, 2005 by the score of 74-64...WSSU is coming off of a 66-59 overtime win over the Blue Bears of Livingstone on Tuesday...WSSU has defeated two ranked opponents thus far this season...Ten-game win streak is WSSU's longest of the 2004-2005 season and longest since a 12-game streak during the 2000-01 season...The Rams have locked up the CIAA Western Division regular-season title, the first for WSSU since 1999-2000.

Coaching Matchups...This game will pit WSSU head coach Philip Stitt versus Sam Hanger...Stitt, in his fourth season, has amassed a record of 72-38 (.658) overall, while Sam Hanger is in his 4th season at Fayetteville State and has an overall coaching record of 36-44 at FSU (.413)...Stitt is 4-3 versus FSU and Hanger in his head coaching career...Hanger is 3-4 versus Stitt while at Fayetteville State...Hanger has an overall coaching career record of 153-145 during 11 years.

1000 Point Watch...Alleggrie Guinn, a junior from Charlotte, NC just recently crossed over the 1,000 point mark. Through two and a half seasons, Guinn has tallied 1,015 points. Guinn has appeared in 81 games for the Rams, starting 61 of them. He has averaged 12.53 points per game throughout his career at WSSU, scoring 265 points as a freshman, 367 points as a sophomore, and 383 thus far in 2004-05 (as a junior). With three regular-season games remaining, Guinn now sits with 1,015 career points.

CIAA Eastern Division Vs. WSSU...The contest between Bowie State and the Rams was WSSU's fifth game versus the CIAA's Eastern Division in 2004-05 with the Rams posting a 5-0 record thus far this season...WSSU defeated #1 in the nation Virginia Union on January 4th, 2005 by the score of 76-62; defeated Elizabeth City State on January 6th, 2005 by the score of 60-46; and defeated Shaw University last Thursday, January 20th, 2005 by the score of 76-72 before defeating Virginia State on January 25th, 2005 (66-52) and Bowie State last Saturday (January 29th, 2005)...WSSU looks to stay perfect versus the CIAA's Eastern Division in 2004-05 if they can defeat St. Paul's later this season...The Rams faced Eastern-Division member St. Paul's in a non-conference game on November 20th, 2004 and defeated the Tigers 85-53.

CIAA Has Five Of Top Ten...The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is showing just how much quality talent is within the men's basketball ranks this season as five of the top ten teams in the South Atlantic Region Rankings are members of the CIAA, and a Ram opponent from this season sits at #1 in the region. USC-Upstate, who narrowly defeated the Rams this season is atop the region with the CIAA's Bowie State in second, Virginia Union in third, North Carolina Central in seventh, Winston-Salem State in fourth, and Johnson C. Smith in eighth. The Rams have defeated Virginia Union and Johnson C.Smith (twice) as well as Bowie State and North Carolina Central.

About The Rams...The 2003-04 Rams finished the season with an overall mark of 16-12 and a CIAA record of 6-10, good enough to finish in fourth place in the CIAA's Western Division. The Rams have nine letter-winners returning and lose only four players from last season's team. The Rams return four starters during the upcoming 2004-05 season and will welcome a plethora of newcomers (7 in total).

Rams Picked Fifth...The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association held its annual men's and women's basketball media and coaches exchange on Thursday, October 6th, 2004 at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel where the 2004-05 All-CIAA Pre-Season Teams and predicted order of finish were announced to coaches, administrators and media members. The Rams of Winston-Salem State University were picked to finish fifth in the Western Division, ahead of only the Blue Bears of Livingstone. The predicted order of finish selections were unkind to the Rams as they have been picked to finish ahead of only Livingstone a team that fnished last in 2003-04. However, the Rams split the 2003-04 season series' with three of the four teams that have been picked to finish behind. The Virginia Union University Panthers, the defending CIAA champions, are picked to win the CIAA's Eastern Division, and the Broncos of Fayetteville State are picked to pull to the forefront in the CIAA's Western Division. WSSU will have try to prove the skeptics wrong in 2004-05 as they look to again become CIAA champions.

TV Coverage...There is no television coverage for Sunday's contest Fayetteville State. Check out the official website of WSSU Athletics at wssurams.com for future television updates and times. The Rams may appear on television as many as three times during the 2004-05 regular season, and will appear on ESPN 2/ESPN Classic during the 2005 CIAA Tournament due to the recent deal between the CIAA and ESPN to televise the entire 2005 tournament live on TV.

Radio Coverage...The game between the Rams and Fayetteville State will be available to listeners in the greater Winston-Salem area on WSNC, FM 90.5 with Sam Harley and the "Voice of the Rams", Bill Franklin calling all the action as well as nationally on the internet at www.wssu.edu by clicking on the link: "Listen to WSNC." Livingstone College radio is unannounced as of press time.

WSSU's Last Game...The Rams are currently riding a ten-game win streak as they have not lost since January 11th, 2005 (versus Saint Augustine's). WSSU locked up their first CIAA Western Division, regular-season title since the 1999-2000 season on Tuesday as they defeated the Blue Bears of Livingstone by the score of 66-59. In that contest, junior guard Alleggrie Guinn broke the 1,000 career-points mark as he recorded 16 points in the game to give him 1,015 total points in 81 total games as a Ram. This gives him a career scoring average of 12.53 points per game. The Rams have not had a win streak this long (10 games) since the 2000-01 season in which they strung together a streak of 12 consecutive wins. The Rams will receive a first-round bye in the upcoming CIAA men's basketball tournament and will be the top seeded team in the field as they have defeated every CIAA team at least once during this season. WSSU currently boasts a 12-1 conference record and is ranked 4th in South Atlantic Region.