Rams To Face Zips At Rhodes Arena In Akron, Ohio On Saturday Evening - WINSTON-SALEM STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Dec. 8, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Rams (1-11) return to the road on Saturday evening as they face the Mid-American Conference's University of Akron Zips (5-1). The contest marks the Rams 10^th road contest and marks the 11^th different Division I conference opponent that WSSU has faced this season.

Setting The Scene...The Rams enter into tonight's contest with a 1-11 record overall. Winston-Salem State University is riding an eight-game losing streak as they followed up their only win of the season (over Anderson (SC) University by the score of 67-44 on November 14, 2006) with eight consecutive losses to Auburn (95-62), Georgia State (94-87), Coppin State (81-65), Georgia Southern (70-41), Lipscomb (62-46), Notre Dame (90-45), and Georgia Southern (59-49) to fall to 1-10 overall. The Rams' most recent game was their eighth straight loss, a 63-43 loss to the University of South Florida Bulls that came this past Thursday at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC as WSSU dropped to 1-11 overall.

Looking At The Past Schedule...The Rams will be playing in their 13th game overall and their tenth game away from home. The Rams opened the season with three games, all losses, in Fresno, California and followed it up with a home game on November 14. Following WSSU's win over Anderson (SC) on November 14, WSSU traveled to Auburn, AL where they played their fourth game away from home, losing 95-62 (November 17). They then traveled to Atlanta, GA where they dropped a 94-87 decision to the Panthers of Georgia State University at the GSU Sports Arena on November 19 before losing a game at Coppin State University on November 21, 2006 by the score of 81-65. The Rams' then fell 70-41 at Georgia Southern University on November 25 and added losses at Lipscomb and Notre Dame before falling this past Saturday afternoon at home in the C.E. Gaines Center to Georgia Southern and then falling to USF on Thursday.

What's On Tap...The Rams are returning to the road, a place that has seen them play nine games, all losses. WSSU is 0-7 away from home and 0-2 at neutral sites as they have yet to win a game away from the C.E. Gaines Center. WSSU will take on the Zips of Akron in Rhodes Arena (capacity 10,111) in Akron, Ohio, a place that they have never played.

Last Action...The Rams last action came on Thursday evening, December 7, 2006 at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. WSSU led the Bulls of the University of South Florida, a member of the BIG EAST Conference, by one point at halftime (22-21) before falling in defeat 63-43 behind a 19-0 run and a triple-double performance from USF's McHugh Mattis who tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in the win.

It's Been A Decade...The Rams have lost eight consecutive games and have lost 11 of their last 12 contests. The Rams' eight-game losing streak is the most consecutive losses for WSSU since an eight-game skid that occurred a decade ago during the 1996-97 season. Despite the eight-game skid that season, the Rams finished the year with a winning record with a 15-13 mark.

How Long Has It Been?...The Rams last losing season came in 1995-96 when Winston-Salem State University posted a 7-18 overall record. Since then WSSU has recorded ten consecutive winning seasons. If the Rams lose four more games this season they will be assured of their first losing season in over a decade.

Collins Versus The Zips...The Rams' Bobby Collins who is in his first season as the head coach at Winston-Salem State has faced the Zips three times prior to Saturday evening's game. Collins is winless as a head coach versus the University of Akron. Collins' first loss came on December 28, 2002 in Akron, OH by the score of 84-79. On December 1, 2003 Collins dropped his second decision to Akron by the score of 96-82. The most recent loss that Collins faced at the hands of the Zips came on November 27, 2004 in Akron, OH by the score of 80-59. All of Collins' losses to Akron came while he was serving as the head coach at Hampton University. This Saturday's contest will mark the fourth meeting all-time between a Collins-led team and the University of Akron Zips and the first between WSSU and Akron.

Collins Versus The Mid-American Conference...Collins has faced teams from the Mid-American Conference only three times, all versus the Zips of Akron. He has posted an 0-3 record versus the Zips with two losses suffered away from home and one loss served at home in Hampton, Virginia while Collins was the head coach at Hampton University.

Collins vs. Teams From Ohio...Collins has posted a record of 0-4 versus teams from the State of Ohio throughout his five years as a college head coach. In addition to posting three losses to the University of Akron, Collins dropped a 70-62 decision to the Ohio State University on the road in Columbus, Ohio on December 30, 2002.

The Series...The Rams and Zips have never met. The 2006-07 season is the first year of Division I classification for the Rams as they are in the second year of a five-year transition from the NCAA Division II level where they spent 61 seasons earning 10 conference (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) titles, 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the 1967 NCAA Championship. The two teams will be meeting for the first time in history.

The Coaches...WSSU is led by Bobby Collins who is in his first year as the head coach of the Rams. He is entering into his fifth season as a Division I head coach and has posted a 66-68 overall record as he led Hampton University to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last season. He has posted a 1-11 overall record at WSSU with his only win coming in a 67-44 decision over the Anderson University Trojans. The Zips are led by Keith Dambrot who is in his third season at Akron where he has posted an overall record of 47-21. Dambrot has posted an overall coaching record of 155-91 over the span of eight-plus seasons.

A Look At The Zips...The Zips enter tonight's game with an overall record of 5-1. Akron started the season with an 81-79 loss to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock before ripping off five consecutive wins. The Zips have beaten, in succession, Gardner-Webb (89-61), Tiffin (97-35), Niagara (63-48), Oral Roberts (61-59), and Binghamton (90-55) with the three most recent games all being road wins. The Zips are coming off of a season in which they posted 23 wins and the program's first post-season victory and are considered to be one of the MAC's best teams.

A Look At Akron...The University of Akron is an institution of higher education that has an enrollment of 22, 636 students set in a city of 223,000 people. The program has sponsored men's basketball for 106 seasons and has posted an overall record of 1,315 wins and 890 losses for a winning percentage of .598.

What Is A Zips?...When Director of Athletics, Kenneth "Red" Cochrane shortened the University of Akron's mascot from "Zippers" to "Zips" in 1950, the Akron Zips were born. The mascot, Zippy the Kangaroo was introduced on May 1, 1953 and has stuck with the University ever since.

A November Record...The Rams played 10 games during the month of November, turning in a 1-9 record. Until this season Winston-Salem State University had never played ten games during the first month of the season. WSSU had played nine games in the month of November three times in history but had never played 10 games like they did this season. Of those ten games, nine game on the road.

Ten Conferences Down...The month of November saw the Rams play teams from 10 different conferences. The Rams have faced the: Western Athletic Conference (WAC) when they played Fresno State, Big West when they played UC-Irvine, the Sun Belt when they played South Alabama, the Carolinas-Virginias Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) when they played Anderson, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) when they played Auburn, the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) when they played Georgia State, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) when they played Coppin State, the Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) when they played Lipscomb, and the Big East when they played Notre Dame and the University of South Florida.

Five Conferences To Go...The Rams have faced 10 different conferences thus far in 2006-07 and will face an additional five other conferences this season. In the upcoming weeks the Rams will face the Mid-American Conference (MAC) when they face Akron (December 9), the Big 12 when they face Kansas (December 19), Conference USA when they face UAB (December 23), the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) when they face Georgia Tech and Wake Forest (January 3 and February 6) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) when they face Alabama A&M (February 12) giving the Rams a total of 15 different conferences faced this season.

Season Highs...Jamal Durham's 22 point, 13 rebound performance versus Auburn set five season records as Durham tallied a WSSU team season high 22 points (which Brian Fisher tied with 22 points versus Georgia State), a WSSU team season high 13 rebounds, a WSSU team season high eight offensive rebounds, a WSSU team season high eight made field goals, and a WSSU team season high 37 minutes played.

Opponent Game Highs...Unfortunately for the Rams, their 95-62 loss to Auburn set eight opponent game highs for the young 2006-07 season. The Tigers set opponent team highs in points (95), points in a half (54), made field goals (33), field goal shooting percentage (57.9%), three-point field goal shooting percentage (47.6%), assists (25), steals (13) and double-figure scorers (six).

Home, Sweet Home?...The Rams have played three games at home and have lost two of the three contests. The Rams defeated Anderson (SC) and lost contests to Georgia Southern and the University of South Florida.

No Rest For The Wicked...It gets no easier for the Rams after a pair of home games as they once again return to the road for seven consecutive road contests. The Rams take to the road on December 8, 2006 and travel to face Akron (December 9), Georgetown (December 16), Kansas (December 19), UAB (December 23), Towson (December 29), Georgia Tech (January 3), and Morgan State (January 5) before returning to the C.E. Gaines Center for a home game versus Ferrum on January 7.

Lewis Gets Career Start #1...Greg Lewis started his first career game for the Rams on Thursday versus the Bulls of the University of South Florida. Unfortunately, Lewis fouled out of the contest after recording only seven minutes of playing time while scoring no points.

On The Receiving End...The Rams were again on the receiving end of another team record as the University of South Florida's McHugh Mattis recorded the Bulls' second-ever triple double as he tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots while playing all 40 minutes of Thursday's game against the Rams.

Wonge Scoreless...Darrell Wonge turned in his second scoreless game of the season on Thursday evening as he missed both of his field goal attempts while playing only 13 minutes. Wonge fouled out of the contest and pulled down only one rebound.

Under 40% Again...The Rams shot a dismal 31.4% from the field on Thursday evening versus USF as WSSU shot below 40% for the 10^th time this season. The Rams have lost all 10 of those contests.

Road Tripping With The Rams...During the month of November, the Rams faced nine teams away from the friendly confines of the CE Gaines Center. WSSU spent a total of 21 days on the road as they traveled to Fresno, CA for three games; traveled to Auburn, AL for a game against the Tigers of Auburn University; traveled to Atlanta, GA for games against Georgia State and Georgia Southern; traveled to Nashville, TN for a game against Lipscomb; and traveled to South Bend, IN for a contest versus Notre Dame. December will see the Rams travel 18 days as they hit the road for games in Akron, OH, Washington, D.C., Lawrence, KS, Birmingham, AL, and Towson, MD.

Frequent Flier Miles...The Rams will travel over 25,000 miles round trip this season as they play 23 road games this year. The Rams will travel by plane to visit 12 opponents and will travel by charter bus for the remaining 11 opponents.

Unique Opponents...The Rams will face 27 unique opponents during the 2006-07 season. The Rams will play only the Georgia Southern Eagles and the North Dakota State Bison more than once during their first year as a Division I team.

Trailing At The Half...The Rams have led at halftime four times this season and have posted a 1-3 record when doing so. WSSU has trailed at the half eight times and have posted losses in all eight of those contests.

Have To Hold `Em Under 30%...The Rams' lone win of the 2006-07 season came when they held their opponent to under 30% shooting from the field. When opponents shoot 40% or better from the field the Rams are a collective 0-11 on the season.

Margin Is High...The Rams have lost seven games by 17 points or more. The have lost one game by 20 points, one game by 16 points, one by 12 points, one by 10 points, and one by seven points. WSSU has had no contest decided by less than seven points.

Don't Bet On Black...The Rams have lost nine games away from home. However, WSSU has lost five of those games while wearing their alternate black jersey and lost only three games wearing their road red jersey (the other loss coming in a neutral-site game away from home when they wore their home white jersey).

Transition Year Two...The Rams are currently in the second year of a five-year transition from the Division II level to the highest level of competition in Division I. The Rams are an independent team this season but will join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2007-08. The Rams will become a full-fledged Division I member that is eligible for all NCAA championships in the 2010-11 season.

12th MEAC Member...On July 20, 2006, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced that it will expand its membership to 12 members next year, as the league voted to admit Winston-Salem State University into the league beginning in 2007-08. "We are elated to welcome Winston-Salem into the MEAC family", said Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "Obviously we think that WSSU is an outstanding academic institution with an excellent athletics program." Winston-Salem State University is currently in the second year of its reclassification from Division II to NCAA Division I status. WSSU will begin a full MEAC schedule in all sports beginning in 2007-08. However they will not be eligible for MEAC Championship play until the 2010 football season. The addition of WSSU marks the first expansion for the MEAC since 1997, when Norfolk State University became the 11th member of the conference.

Tough Tests...The Rams have one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. They face 11 different conferences and will face 27 unique opponents. The Rams will face #5/#5 Kansas (December 19), #18/#23 Georgetown (December 16) and #21/#24 Georgia Tech (January 3) this season. WSSU faces four teams that made the 2006 NCAA Tournament (Georgetown, Kansas, South Alabama, and Alabama-Birmingham) and five teams that made the NIT (Wake Forest, Lipscomb, Georgia Southern, Notre Dame and Akron).

It's In The Game...With their transition to the Division I level, the Rams have been included in the latest installment of Take 2 Interactive's NCAA 2K7 video game for X-Box, X-Box 360 and Sony Playstation 2. The Rams are rated a 68 overall and are ranked higher overall than all but two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams.

A New Era; A Proud History...The Rams are entering into a new era at WSSU as they are heading into the Division I ranks. However, the Rams have a history of basketball excellence as they have recorded 49 winning seasons including 10 consecutive winning years. The Rams have posted 23 20-win seasons and a 30-win season in 1967 when they won the NCAA Championship with a 31-1 record.

1000-Plus Wins All-Time...Winston-Salem State University has posted an all-time record of 1050-607 for a winning percentage of 63.3%. Legendary coach Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines won 828 games at WSSU during his career which still places him fifth on the NCAA's all-time win list (behind Dean Smith of North Carolina, Bobby Knight of Indiana and now Texas Tech, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky and Jim Phelan of Mount Saint Mary's).

California Love?...The Rams are not thrilled with their early-season road trip to California. The Rams are now saddled with an overall all-time mark of 0-2 versus teams from the State of California, and head coach Bobby Collins is now 0-4 all-time versus California schools.

First In Shooting...The Rams were first in the CIAA in shooting percentage last season as they hit 47.6% of their shots. WSSU shot 50% or better from the field in 11 of their last 15 games in 2005-06 and posted an 11-4 mark over that stretch. This season the Rams have yet to crack the 50% shooting barrier in any game.

Turnover Differential...The Rams ranked first in the CIAA in turnover margin as they turned in a plus (+) 3.04 turnover ratio last season. This season the Rams are committing one-tenth of a turnover more per game than they force.

Injury Update...Heading into the fifth week of the 2006-07 season, the Rams are again healthy with no players on the injury chart. All 14 active roster members will be at head coach Bobby Collins' disposal for Tuesday's game.

Jamal Durham Up To His Old Tricks...WSSU sophomore forward Jamal Durham is starting the 2006-07 season right where he left off last season, a season that saw him earn CIAA All-Rookie honors. Durham heads into this weekend's action averaging 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.

The Last Time WSSU Scored 100...The last time that the Rams scored 100 points was on December 2, 2005 versus Knoxville College. The Rams earned the 103-80 win in Winston-Salem, NC at the CE Gaines Center. In that game WSSU had seven players score in double-figures as Alleggrie Guinn tallied 20 points to lead the Rams.

The Last Time WSSU Gave Up 100...The last time that the Rams gave up 100 points to an opponent was on February 14, 1998 (Valentine's Day) at Capel Arena in Fayetteville, NC. The Rams lost that contest, broadcast live on television on MBC Networks, in triple-overtime, to Fayetteville State University by the score of 112-104 (3OT).

The Last Time WSSU Held An Opponent To Under 30% FG Shooting...The last time that the Rams held an opponent to less than 30% shooting from the field was on November 14, 2006 when they held the Trojans of Anderson University (SC) to a 28.6.0% shooting percentage as the Trojans converted only 14 of 49 field goal attempts. The contest was a 67-44 win for WSSU at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. It also served as Bobby Collins first win as head coach at WSSU.

Deep Bench...Despite being young, the Rams, and head coach Bobby Collins have a deep bench. Through 11 games of the 2006-07 season, Winston-Salem State University has nine players on the roster who have appeared in all 12 games. The Rams also have 10 players who have started at least one contest.

The Last Time WSSU Had Two Players Record Double-Doubles In The Same Game...Was on December 1, 2001 at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC when Marcus Best, WSSU's all-time leader in steals (346), scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Devonaire Deas, a transfer from Florida State University, chipped in with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Last Time WSSU Had A Player Record An Assist/Points Double-Double...Was on January 31, 2006 as Alleggrie Guinn scored 26 points and added 10 assists in WSSU's 82-75 loss to the Broncos of Fayetteville State University at the LJVM Coliseum Annex.

The Last Time That A WSSU Player Led The Rams In Points/Rebounds/Assists...Was on December 7, 2004 at Mars-Hill College when Alleggrie Guinn recorded 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists in WSSU's 83-80 win. He also led the Rams in steals in that same contest with four.

The Last Time WSSU Defeated A Ranked Team...Was on February 11, 2006 in Charlotte, NC as the Rams handed the 23rd-ranked (NCAA Division II) Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University an 81-57 defeat at Brayboy Gymnasium. The Rams have defeated at least one ranked team each season for four consecutive seasons (the Rams were a Division II team for 61 years with the 2006-07 season marking their first year as a Division I program).

A Look At The University...Winston-Salem State University was founded as the Slater Industrial Academy on September 28, 1892. It began in a one-room frame structure with 25 pupils and one teacher. In 1895, the school was recognized by the state of North Carolina, and in 1897, it was chartered by the Slater Industrial and State Normal School.

From the beginning, the school has insisted upon the vital importance of elementary school teachers in building an improved citizenship. Emphasis has, therefore, constantly been placed upon the quality and quantity of training for these teachers. In 1925, the General Assembly of North Carolina recognized the school's leadership in this field and granted the school a new charter, extending its curriculum above high school. The school changed its name to Winston-Salem Teachers College and empowered it, under the authority of the State Board of Education, to confer appropriate degrees. Winston-Salem Teachers College thus became the first Negro institution in the nation to grant degrees for teaching in the elementary grades.

The Nursing School was established in 1953, awarding graduates the degree of Bachelor of Science. The basic nursing program covers four years of study with equal emphasis on academic and professional education.

In 1957, the North Carolina General Assembly revised the charter of the college and authorized the expansion of the curriculum to include secondary education and any other specific types of training as directed and determined by the State Board of Higher Education.

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1963 authorized the changing of Winston-Teachers College to Winston-Salem State College. A statute designing Winston-Salem Teachers College as Winston-Salem State University received legislative approval in 1969. On October 30, 1971, the General Assembly reorganized higher education in North Carolina, and on July 1, 1972, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) became one of 16 constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina, subject to the control of the Board of Governors.

Winston-Salem State University is located on 110 acres in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, a city of 185,470 residents. This thriving Twin City is part of the Piedmont Triad, which encompasses the neighboring cities of Greensboro and High Point. The Triad is one of the most heavily populated and fastest growing metropolitan areas between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA (U.S. Census Statistical Information).

Winston-Salem State University rapidly is changing its "well-kept secret" status. The University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report's "Best Colleges and Universities" publication as one of the best public liberal arts colleges in the south for the last five years. WSSU is perhaps best defined by part of the University's mission statement which reads: "Excellent academic programs with a strong liberal arts foundation will be offered within a learning culture which exemplifies excellence in teaching and scholarship; emphasizes faculty-student interaction; promotes lifelong learning; and prepares individuals for leadership and service in the global society."

The present day Winston-Salem State University has come a long way from its humble beginnings as Slater Industrial Academy in 1892; WSSU now enrolls over 5,557 students, offers bachelor's degrees in over 40 majors, master's degrees in seven degree programs, and employs nearly 250 full-time faculty and 350 staff members. It is accredited by the Commission on College of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. WSSU has a diverse student population with increasing enrollment of non-traditional and part-time students.

On March 5, 1998 the University's "Strategic Framework for Change" was unveiled to the Board of Trustees and the Winston-Salem community. The document provides the context for transforming today's Winston-Salem State University into one of the region's finest public undergraduate institutions. Nursing at Winston-Salem State University offers a global health curriculum and international student and faculty exchange. Gottenburg's University in Sweden, the Nightingale Institute at King's College in London, the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, Waterford Regional Technical College in Southern Ireland, and WSSU are all partners in this exciting venture.

The pass rate for Winston-Salem State University nursing graduates on the state board examination is above 90 percent, one of the highest in the state of North Carolina and the highest among historically black colleges and universities nationally.

In the 90's, Fortune 500 corporations increasingly recruited business, economics, and accounting graduates. Recently, the University's student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants was recognized in the national competition at the Association's annual meeting. Winston-Salem State University is no longer a hidden jewel or "Best Kept Secret." The word is out about WSSU.

WSSU are all partners in this exciting venture.

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