Rams Return To Action Friday Evening; Face Towson Tigers At 7 PM - WINSTON-SALEM STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Dec. 29, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Quick Hits...Following six days without game action, the Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team returns to the court on Friday evening as they face the Tigers of Towson University at the Towson Center (5,000) in Towson, Maryland at 7:00 pm.

Setting The Scene...The Rams enter into tonight's contest with a 1-15 record overall. Winston-Salem State University is riding a 12-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 a dozen consecutive losses to Auburn (95-62), Georgia State (94-87), Coppin State (81-65), Georgia Southern (70-41 and 59-49), Lipscomb (62-46), Notre Dame (90-45), the University of South Florida (63-43), Akron (79-67), Georgetown (76-32), #11/#12 Kansas (94-43) and most recently to UAB (84-53) to drop to 1-15 overall.

Looking At The Past Schedule...The Rams will be playing in their 17th game overall and their 14th 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 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 to Georgia Southern and South Florida at home. The Rams then went out on the road and dropped a 79-67 decision to Akron and a 76-32 decision to Georgetown before falling in defeat in their most lopsided contest of the season by 51 points (94-43) to #11/#12 Kansas in Lawrence, KS before falling at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama in their last action on December 21. The Rams have played more road contests than most Division I teams have played total games thus far in 2006-07.

What's On Tap...The Rams are returning to the road, a place that has seen them play 13 games, all losses. WSSU is 0-13 away from home (which includes an 0-2 record at neutral sites) as they have yet to win a game away from the C.E. Gaines Center. WSSU will take on the Tigers of Towson University in Towson, Maryland in the Towson Center (5,000) as the Rams face a team that they have never played in a place that they have never played.

Last Action...The Rams' last action came on December 21, 2006 as they fell in defeat by the score of 84-53 to the Blazers of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in front of 3,773 fans at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. The Rams received a team-high 20 points from Darius Floyd and were the beneficiaries of 17 points from Brian Fisher as the Rams hit only 20 of their 49 field goal attempts in the loss. The defeat moved WSSU to 1-15 on the season and improved UAB to 7-5 overall.

Up Next...The Rams return home to Winston-Salem, NC for one day before returning to the road for a pair of contests to open the 2007 portion of the schedule. WSSU travels to Atlanta, GA to face Georgia Tech on January 3, and then travels back to Maryland (Baltimore) to face Morgan State on January 5.

It's Been A Decade...The Rams have lost 12 consecutive games and have lost 15 of their last 16 contests. The Rams' 12-game losing streak is the most consecutive losses for WSSU since a 15-game skid that occurred during the 1991-92 season, a season in which the Rams finished the year with a 6-20 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. Following the Rams' loss to UAB this past Saturday evening they have been assured of their first losing season in over a decade.

On The Radio...Though the Rams will not broadcast the game (the broadcast crew of Maurice "Big Mo" Stanfield and LA Batchelor will instead cover the WSSU women's basketball game versus New Hampshire from the Virginia Tech "Lady Luck Classic" in Blacksburg, VA). Towson will broadcast the game on WTMD Radio 89.7 FM with Spiro Morekas calling the play-by-play action in this, his 16th season. He will be joined by Vince Agnotti on color. Agnotti is a Towson Tiger legend as he led the men's basketball program as head coach for 16 seasons, amassing a 231-167 record.

On Television...The game between the Rams and the Tigers is not televised. However, the Rams' game versus Kansas was the second of three scheduled games that the Rams will play on television. The Rams and Hoyas played on MASN, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network on Saturday, with Jason Knapp on the play-by-play and Mark Tillmon providing color commentary. The Rams returned to television versus Kansas on December 19, 2006 as they will appear on ESPN Plus and Jayhawk TV with Dave Armstrong and Paul Splittorff calling the action. WSSU will appear on Jefferson Pilot sports when they face the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest on February 6, 2006.

The Polls...Neither the Blazers nor the Tigers are ranked. The Rams have faced a pair of opponents this season that are currently ranked in the national polls in the Kansas Jayhawks (#9/#10) and the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame (#19/#24). The first ranking indicates the Associated Press poll, the second indicates the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Collins Versus The Tigers...The Rams' Bobby Collins who is in his first season as the head coach at Winston-Salem State has never faced the Tigers of Towson prior to Friday evening's game. This Friday's contest will mark the first meeting all-time between a Collins-led team and the Tigers of Towson and the first between Collins and Towson head coach Pat Kennedy.

Collins Versus The Colonial Athletic Association...Collins has faced teams from the Colonial Athletic Association nine times over the course of his five-year head coaching career. Collins has turned in an all-time mark versus the CAA of 2-9. Collins has faced the CAA 11 times, and only once while at WSSU. He has posted a 2-8 mark versus the CAA while at Hampton University and has posted an 0-1 mark while at WSSU. Collins is 0-1 versus George Mason, 1-0 versus Old Dominion, 0-4 versus Virginia Commonwealth, 1-3 versus William and Mary and 0-1 versus Georgia State. The loss to Georgia State came earlier this season and marks the only time that the Rams, as a program, have faced a team from the CAA.

The Series...The Rams and Tigers have never met as Division I programs. Towson and Winston-Salem State met one other time, back in 1977 when both were Division II schools. The Tigers and Rams squared off in a NCAA Division II South Atlantic semifinal tournament game with Towson prevailing 102-83. 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 second time in history yet the first time in Division I 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 66-72 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 1-15 overall record at WSSU with his only win coming in a 67-44 decision over the Anderson University Trojans. The Tigers are led by Pat Kennedy who is in his third season as the head coach at Towson where he has turned in an overall record of 23-44. Kennedy has posted a career coaching mark of 439-355 and is coaching in his 794^th career game on Friday evening.

The Century Club...Senior guard/forward Curtis Hines appeared in his 100th game as a Rams when he played versus Akron on December 9, 2006. He celebrated cracking the century mark with a 20-point performance, including going 5-of-7 from behind the three-point arch.

A Look At The Tigers...The This is the Tigers final game of 2006 before jumping into Colonial Athletic Association league play in earnest on January 3rd at home against a hot Virginia Commonwealth team. Towson, coming off a 69-41 loss at Georgetown, will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak. Towson and Winston-Salem met one other time, back in 1977 when both were Division II schools. The Tigers and Rams squared off in a NCAA Division II South Atlantic semifinal tournament game with Towson prevailing 102-83. Towson, under the direction of coach Vince Angotti, went on to down Baltimore 92-87 before falling 85-82 to Sacred Heart in a Division II quarterfinal played at Yale. Towson posted its best record in program history, 27-3, that 1976-77 season and for most of the year was the top ranked team in the nation.

A Look At Towson...Towson University is an institution of higher education that is located in Towson, Maryland with an enrollment of 18,011 students. The Tigers colors are Gold, White and Black and they play their games in the Towson Center with a capacity of 5,000. They are members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

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.

13 Conferences Down...The months of November and December saw the Rams play teams from 11 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 (they will also face the Tigers of Towson, a CAA member), 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. The Rams added their 11th conference played when they faced the Akron Zips of the Mid-American Conference and added their 12th conference faced at Kansas as they faced the big 12 for the first time this season. The Rams then added Conference USA in their loss to UAB as WSSU faced their 13^th conference in 2006-07.

Two Conferences To Go...The Rams have faced 13 different conferences thus far in 2006-07 and will face an additional two other conferences this season. In the upcoming weeks the Rams will face 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 are in the midst of a seven-game road trip that started at Akron (December 9) and included trips to 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 Starting Three-Peat...Greg Lewis started his first career game for the Rams 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. He logged his second career start versus Akron where he played 11 minutes, scoring four points and picking up a pair of personal fouls and followed it up with his third career, and third consecutive, start this past Saturday at Georgetown University where he logged 15 minutes, missed both his shots from the field and collected three personal fouls.

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 in the game against the Rams on December 7, 2006.

Wonge Scoreless No More...Darrell Wonge who turned in three consecutive scoreless games in the month of December broke his scoreless drought as he tallied 14 points versus Akron. Wonge posted a five-of-eight shooting night and hit three of his four three-point field goal attempts.

Only 20%...The Rams shot a chilly 20.4% from the field on Saturday versus the Hoyas of Georgetown as WSSU hit only 10 of their 49 field goal attempts. The Rams have shot less than 40% in 12 of 14 games this season and have posted a loss in all 12 of those games.

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 12 times and WSSU has posted losses in all 12 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 0-15 on the season.

Margin Is High...The Rams have lost 10 games by 17 points or more. WSSU has had no contest decided by less than seven points.

Don't Bet On Black...The Rams have played 11 games away from home (non-neutral site games). However, WSSU has lost six of those games while wearing their alternate black jersey and lost seven games wearing their road red jersey (the other two losses 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 #11/#12 Kansas (December 19), previously-ranked, and vote-getter Georgetown (December 16) and vote-getter 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 1050-611 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 forcing two-tenths of a turnover more per game than they commit.

Injury Update...Heading into the 11th 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 week's action averaging 8.8 points and 4.3 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 16 games of the 2006-07 season, Winston-Salem State University has eight players on the roster who have appeared in all 16 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.

Men's Basketball