Game Details

The Winston-Salem State University Rams (9-15) versus the North Carolina A&T Aggies (13-12, 7-5 MEAC) at LJVM Coliseum Annex (4,200 capacity) in Winston-Salem, NC on Feb. 23, 2008 at 7:30 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 5:30 p.m.  The men's game will tip-off 20 minutes after the completion of the women's contest. 

Setting the Scene

The Rams fell to Hampton, 67-62, on Monday, Feb. 18 after defeating Howard by one point a few days earlier. WSSU holds a 9-15 record, while NC A&T holds a 13-12 overall record and a 7-5 conference record. The Aggies are coming off of a conference loss to Delaware State, 70-66.

The Series In Depth

The Rams and Aggies have met 84 times, including this season's meeting on Jan. 26. The Aggies lead the all-times series 48-36.

Streaks

After breaking a three-game losing skid with a 58-57 victory over Howard, WSSU entered the losing column with a 67-62 loss at Hampton. The Aggies are also coming off of a loss, falling 70-66 to Delaware State.

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 contest versus the Aggies 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 Sharrod Patterson 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 Aggies 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 University men's basketball contact is 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 (9-15)

The Rams hold a 9-15 record overall and are coming off of a 67-62 loss at Hampton on the road.  The loss dropped the Rams to 1-10 on the road.

Jamal Durham led the Rams on Monday with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Paul Davis added 10 points and six rebounds. Darrell Wonge led the team in rebounds with nine.

The Rams continue to be led by Durham who is averaging 11.5 points per game and is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.  Durham is now the only Ram averging in double figures as Darrell Wonge dropped to 9.7 points per game and is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game.

The Rams are shooting only 38.4 percent from the field and are allowing opponents to hit 42.5 percent of their shots.

The Book On NC A&T (13-12)

The Aggies hold a 13-12 overall record and are 7-5 in the MEAC. NC A&T fell to Delaware State 70-66 and are 4-8 on the road this season. The Aggies' Angelo Hernandez led three double-figure scorers with 14 points, while Steven Rush and Austin Ewing added 12 points and 11 points, respectively.

Hernandez and Trahern Chaplin added six rebounds each against the Hornets.

Rush leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game, while Ewing is averaging 10.4 points per game. Jason Wills leads the team in rebounds and is averaging 6.6 rebounds per game. 

As a team, Hampton is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from beyond the arc.

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 79-96 overall record.  Collins has posted a 14-39 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 .451 winning percentage (.264 winning percentage at WSSU) with another win over Howard.

Fifth Season For Eaves

Jerry Eaves is in the midst of his fifth season as the North Carolina A&T men's basketball coach.

Eaves has posted a record of 43-101 while at NC A&T and has posted an identical career mark. Eaves faced the Rams for the first time this season on Jan. 26 and has posted a 1-5 mark versus WSSU head coach Bobby Collins during his career.

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 7-2 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 two contests (one in his final season coaching the Pirates of Hampton and the other earlier this season).

Collins Versus the State of North Carolina

Winston-Salem State University head coach Bobby Collins has posted an all-time career mark of 7-7 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 7-2 mark versus North Carolina A&T.

Last Action

The Winston-Salem State Rams came out with fire and intensity, but could not come home with the win as a second half surge by the Hampton Pirates gave the visiting Rams a 67-62 loss.

For the game, the Rams shot a scorching 45.7% from the field, despite shooting 26.7% from the three-point line. WSSU junior forward Jamal Durham led the way for the Rams with 14 points and eight rebounds in the loss, while freshman forward Paul Davis added 10 points. Senior forward Darrell Wonge led the Rams on the boards with nine rebounds to go along with eight points in the game.

The second half started much like the first half with the Pirates coming out to a strong start. An early 10-4 run by the Pirates would erase the WSSU lead and give the Pirates a 39-37 advantage that the home team would not relinquish. Though Hampton did its best extend its lead, the Rams would continue to battle and keep the game close for the remainder of the contest.

Tucker would go on to hit another crucial basket for the Rams as his three-pointer with 6:29 would pull the Rams to within one point of the Pirates, 55-54, with 6:29 left to play. The three-pointer capped a 9-2 run by the Rams that pulled the team to within one point of the Pirates.

Hampton would then respond with five unanswered points and pulled away from the Rams for good. The final minutes saw the Rams get no closer than four points on a Tucker free throw with 00:29 left to play. Another Pirate free throw eight seconds later would cap the win and leave the Rams with the 67-62 loss in the game. 

Manic Mondays

The Rams have had their share of difficulties playing on Mondays this season.  Winston-Salem State has posted a 1-7 overall record on Monday in 2007-08.

Sophomore Slump?

WSSU guard Brian Fisher may be hitting a sophomore slump as he has been held scoreless in two of the Rams' last five games.  Versus Norfolk State on Jan. 28 he was held scoreless for the first time in his career.  Fisher was held scoreless in the Rams' last action as he played three minutes versus the Bears of Morgan State and missed all three field goal attempts.  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 has scored in every game in 2007-08 except for the game on Jan. 28  and in the Rams' action at Morgan State.  Despite his recent slump he led the Rams with 20 points on Feb.18 and earned a key steal that set up teammate Jamal Durham's game-tying and game-winning free throws at Howard.

Morris' Career Day

Freshman center Corey Morris had a career day on Feb. 18 at Hampton. Morris played a career high 13 minutes and scored a career high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field (also a career high). The Elizabeth City, N.C. native also had a career high two steals.

First Half Woes

The Rams' 13 first-half points versus Morgan State marked the lowest single-half scoring output for the Rams.  The season's previous low was 20 points scored in the first half versus Wake Forest on November 23.

Cold Shooting

The Rams' first-half shooting percentage of 18.2 percent versus the Bears of Morgan State on Feb. 9 marked the lowest single-half shooting percentage of the season for the Rams easily surpassing the previous single-half low of 21.9 percent that WSSU shot in the season-opener on Nov. 9 at Iowa State. February 11th's loss at Coppin State marked the Rams third straight time the team shot under 30 percent - this time WSSU shot 26.3 percent from the field.

Largest Halftime Deficit

The Rams' 26-point deficit to the Bears on Saturday marked the largest halftime deficit of the season for the Rams.  The Rams' previous season-high halftime deficit was 16 points.

Winless On The Road No More

The Rams picked up their first road win against Howard on Feb. 16 - their first victory away from home since January 27, 2007 when they earned a 56-48 victory over Bethune-Cookman. On the season, WSSU is 1-9 on the road.

Second Three-Game Losing Streak Snapped

The Rams' one-point victory over Howard snapped a three-game losing streak and is the second time WSSU stopped the streak from extending to four games. WSSU fell to Hampton on Jan. 21 before taking two road losses to North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State. On Feb. 2, the Rams snapped the skid with a 59-57 victory over Florida A&M at home.

Only 12 Field Goals

The Rams recorded a season-low 12 total field goals at Morgan State on Saturday, Feb. 9.  WSSU hit four field goals in the first half and eight field goals in the second half.  The Bears' 16 first-half field goals would prove to surpass the Rams' 12 total field goals by four buckets.

Next Up

Following the Rams' game versus NC A&T on Saturday, the Rams conclude their home schedule on Monday, Feb. 25 when they host Norfolk State at 7:30 p.m. WSSU will recognize its three seniors - Roy Peake, Greg Lewis, and Darrell Wonge - as part of Senior Night. 

Senior Night

When the Rams take to the court versus Norfolk State University on Monday, Feb. 25, the Rams will say goodbye to a trio of seniors who are playing in the final home games of their WSSU careers.  Darrell Wonge, Greg Lewis and Roy Peake will close out their WSSU careers in their final home game.   

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).

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).  He played 18 minutes in the Rams' loss at Morgan State on Feb. 9 and 14 minutes in the Rams' loss at Coppin State.  When Davis is not on the court for the Rams he is in a walking boot to protect the stress fracture.

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.

Road Woes

The Rams posted their first win on the road on Feb. 16 against Howard. Prior to the victory, WSSU dropped nine contests on the road this season and the closest WSSU came before Feb. 16th's win was a neutral site win over Lipscomb (68-58 from the American Family Insurance Cyclone Classic held at Iowa State on Nov. 10).

Lineup Shake-Up

WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has used 10 different starting lineups this season with only one Ram, Darrell Wonge, starting every contest.  Senior Roy Peake has started 22 of 24 games and Brian Fisher has started 17 of the 23 games in which he has appeared.

Julian's First Start And Four Straight

WSSU junior forward/center Julian Murphy-Long started his fourth straight game of the season against Hampton on Feb. 18. The Charlotte native made his first start of the season versus Morgan State on Feb. 9 and followed with a start against Coppin State two days later. Murphy-Long made his first career start on Feb. 12, 2007 at Alabama A&M where he played five minutes and missed both of his field goal attempts. 

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.  Peake returned to the starting lineup on Feb. 9 at Morgan State.

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 3-12 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 4-8 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 12 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 11 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.

Taking Charge

The Rams have taken 32 charges through 24 games of the 2007-08 season, an average of 1.36 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.

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.

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).

62nd Year

The Rams have turned in an overall record of 1063-634 over the span of 61 completed seasons of men's basketball competition for a winning percentage of 62.6 percent.  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.