Feb. 7, 2007

COMPLETE NOTES

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Lady Rams will host the Bethune-Cookman College Lady Wildcats, Thursday night seeking their second straight win over a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team. With just three games left in the 2006-07 season, every game is precious for the Lady Rams as they look to end the season on a high note. An undefeated month of February would leave the Lady Rams with a 9-20 record this season in the team's first as an NCAA Division I Independent.

Setting the Scene . . . The Lady Rams are returning home after playing five straight games away from the C.E. Gaines Center. The Lady Rams did win two of their last five games on the road, including Saturday's 71-66 win at Morgan State. Bethune-Cookman heads into Thursday's game after taking losses in their last seven games, including taking losses in their last six road games. The Lady Wildcats are in the hunt for a win in order to build some much needed momentum heading into the final stretch run of the regular season and heading into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament. The Wildcats head into the game coming off of their eighth straight loss, falling to Norfolk State, 53-77, Tuesday night.

The Last Battle . . . The last time these two teams met up, it was the Lady Rams coming away with the win 59-50 win in Daytona Beach in December. Senior guard Latoya Armstrong led the way for the Lady Rams with 14 points in the game. Senior center Shalonda Carter added 13 points and 11 rebounds in the game. B-CC senior forward Cassandra Calcagno led the way with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Junior center Natasha Ferguson led all scorers with 17 point. Senior guard Tristan McCray had 11 rebounds in the contest.

On the Line . . . Thursday's game is a big one for the Lady Rams as a win not only gives the team a 2-0 start to February and the team's second consecutive win for the first time this season, but it will also give the team a great measuring stick as the Lady Wildcats are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and will help to see how the Lady Rams measure up against their future conference competition. This season, the Lady Rams have already totaled a 4-4 record against MEAC teams this season. A Thursday win would give the Lady Rams a 5-4 record against the MEAC. Bethune-Cookman would like to end some late season woes as the team has lost their last seven games and with just four wins this season, the Lady Wildcats will fight for any win they can muster this season.

No Need for Payback . . . The Lady Rams will need to hold off a Bethune-Cookman team that will be looking for a bit of payback for the Lady Rams' 59-50 win in Daytona Beach on December 21st. Bethune-Cookman will look to avoid the season sweep while Winston-Salem State is looking for their second season sweep of a team this season. The squad has also posted a pair of wins over Norfolk State.

Home "Not So" Sweet Home . . . The Lady Rams have had their struggles at the C.E. Gaines Center this season with a 2-7 record at home this season. The good news for the Lady Rams is that Bethune-Cookman has struggled on the road this season with a 1-8 record as visitors this season. The Lady Rams' last home win game nearly two months ago when the team defeated Norfolk State, 56-47.

The Match-Up . . . The Lady Rams and Lady Wildcats shapes up to be a great, uptempo contest. Both teams feature athletic guards who like to push the ball and score at every opportunity. However, on a team with a number of talented guards, it is senior center Shalonda Carter who stands out for the Lady Rams. A force on offense and defense, Carter leads the Lady Rams in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots.

A Look Back . . . The Lady Rams posted a 10-18 overall record last season and posted a 5-11 conference record in their final year of membership in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).  WSSU lost in the opening round of the CIAA Women's Championship tournament in Charlotte, NC to the Bowie State University Lady Bulldogs by the score of 52-51 as they closed out 25 years of CIAA basketball play before departing Division II for the ranks of Division I.

Road Warriors . . . The road has been much kinder to the Lady Rams, especially in recent games. The Lady Rams' last two wins have come on the road winning, 66-58 at Savannah State on January 20th and 71-66 at Morgan State last Saturday night. For the season, the Lady Rams are 4-12 away from home.

Never Scared . . . The Lady Rams have proven that they will not be intimidated by the Atlantic Coast Conference this season as the team has had some great performances in some of the toughest environments to play, falling to Virginia Tech by just 10 points, 33-43, and taking Wake Forest to overtime last Friday. Of the three ACC teams that the Lady Rams have faced this season, only #2 North Carolina has beaten the Lady Rams by more than 16 points.

Last Action . . . Clutch shooting keyed a 71-66 win over the Morgan State Lady Bears last Saturday. Senior guard Latoya Armstrong hit a three-pointer in the final minute gave the Lady Rams the lead for the first time since midway through the half. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and gave the team 4-4 record against MEAC teams this season. Senior center Shalonda Carter led the way with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the game. Carter was one of four Lady Rams in double-digit scoring in the contest. Sophomore forward Lavontay Johnson, sophomore guard Richea Harris, and Armstrong each scored 10 points in the contest. Bethune-Cookman took their seventh loss in a row when they fell to Norfolk State, 77-53 in Norfolk, Virginia. Sophomore guard Traci Fountain was the only Bethune-Cookman scorer to reach double digits in the contest with 15 points. Junior center Natasha Ferguson added 12 rebounds in the contest.

National Stats Watch . . . Senior center Shalonda Carter is currently the NCAA Division I Independent Women's Basketball leader in rebounding this season at 9.7 rebounds per game. Carter also ranks in the top ten in scoring at 13.0 points per game. The Fayetteville, North Carolina senior is eighth in scoring and fifth in blocked shots averaging 0.96 blocks per game. Fellow senior guard Kadina Baldwin is also ranked in the top ten in assists. She is currently seventh in the nation in assists at 3.15 assists per game this season. Bethune-Cookman took a 53-77 loss at Norfolk State, Tuesday night with sophomore guard Traci Fountain leading the way with 15 points in the game.

WSSU Radio Coverage . . . The WSSU Department of Athletics will broadcast all the home women's basketball games and Friday's game on WSNC 90.5 FM with Maurice "Big Mo" Stanfield calling all the play-by-play action and LA Batchelor providing color commentary.  The games are also available on the Internet at www.WSSU.edu by clicking on the link "Listen To WSNC 90.5 Online".  The next WSSU broadcast will be on February 21st when the team takes on Savannah State in the Lady Rams' season finale.

Bethune-Cookman College Radio Coverage . . . Bethune-Cookman will not have radio coverage for Thursday's game.

Websites . . . The official site of WSSU Athletics is www.WSSURAMS.com while the official site of Bethune-Cookman Athletics is still under construction.

A Quick Look at Bethune-Cookman College . . .  Bethune-Cookman College was founded in 1904 by Mary Jane McLeod Bethune in what was once "Hell's Hole", the city's garbage dump. The school currently has an enrollment of 3,100 students and has become one of the top educational institutions in central Florida. A private institution, Bethune-Cookman College is attached to the United Methodist Church. The college is the 6th largest of the 39-member UNCF colleges.

On the Line . . . The Lady Rams head into the game with a chance to post a winning record against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as the team is currently 4-4 against MEAC teams this season. A win Saturday will give the Lady Rams a 5-4 against MEAC foes this season. The Lady Rams took wins over Norfolk State, Bethune-Cookman, and Morgan State

First Neutral Site Contest . . . The Lady Rams' action versus the Wildcats of New Hampshire (at the Lady Luck Classic in Blacksburg, VA) marked the Lady Rams' first contest at a neutral site during the 2006-07 season. WSSU dropped the contest by the score of 63-55 to fall to 0-1 on the season at neutral venues.   

First Thursday Win Of `06-'07 . . . The Lady Rams' most recent win, a 59-50 win over the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman College marked the first time in the 2006-07 season that WSSU won a game held on a Thursday.  Thursdays have not been kind to the Lady Rams as the team is 1-4 on the fifth day of the week.

First Win of 2007 . . . The Lady Rams took a bit longer than they would have liked to get their first win of 2007 when they took a 66-58 win over Savannah State.

What's On Tap . . . The Lady Rams have their most difficult schedule in the 25-year history of the women's basketball program.  WSSU opened the season with four road games during the season's first week of play.  Winston-Salem State University lost at #2 North Carolina (83-32) on November 12 before traveling to Towson, MD to face Towson on November 14 where they lost 76-51.  WSSU traveled to Auburn, AL to face Auburn University on November 17 where they dropped an 85-47 decision, and then traveled to face Alabama State on November 19 (L, 76-63).  The Lady Rams' lost their first home contest (November 25) when they fell to Johnson C. Smith University at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC by the score of 73-63 and then earned their first win of the season, and first road win when they defeated Norfolk State in overtime 75-64.  The Lady Rams fell to Delaware State University by the score of 67-51 and bounced back as they hammered NJIT 72-41.  WSSU followed that win up with a close 66-52 loss to Appalachian State University and then fell again last at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore in overtime by the score of 54-48 on December 9, 2006.  The Lady Rams then lost their third consecutive game as they fell in defeat at Elon University on December 14 by the score of 50-42 before bouncing back this past Saturday with a losing-streak-snapping 56-47 win over Norfolk State University.  WSSU's then fell in defeat on December 19 as the Lady Rams played well against a very good Towson Tiger team before losing 57-50 to drop to 3-10 on the season.  WSSU then dropped a pair of games at the "Lady Luck Women's Basketball Classic" hosted by Virginia Tech this past weekend as they fell 43-33 to the Hokies and fell 63-55 to New Hampshire in the consolation match. Recently, the Lady Rams have played some solid basketball, but have struggled to score wins posting a 1-7 record since the beginning of January. Last time out, the Lady Rams took a 58-39 loss at The Naval Academy on Tuesday night. The loss was the team's third in a row.

Making History . . . History was made Monday, November 27th in Norfolk, Virginia as the Lady Rams recorded their first Division I win in the program's history.  Coach Dee Stokes netted her first win as WSSU's head coach and the Lady Rams improved to 1-5 at the Division I level with a win over a Division I opponent on the road at Norfolk State University.

New Head Coach . . . WSSU is led by Dee Stokes who is entering into her first year as head coach of the Lady Rams.  Stokes is no stranger to the Division I coaching ranks as she is entering into her fifth season overall and has posted an all-time mark of 55-72.  She comes to WSSU by way of Winthrop University where she spent two seasons as an assistant coach following a four-year spell as the head coach at East Carolina University.  Stokes has posted a 5-18 record at WSSU as head coach and earned her first win as head coach at WSSU on November 27 versus Norfolk State.  She has posted an overall head coaching record of 55-70.

Next Up . . . The Lady Rams' 2006-07 season is winding down as the team has just two game left, following Thursday's contest against the Lady Wildcats. The team will play at Longwood on February 13th before wrapping up the season at home vs. Savannah State on Saturday, February 21st.

Nine Conferences Strong . . . The Lady Rams will face nine different conferences during the 2006-07 season.  WSSU will face the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) three times, the Colonial Athletic Association (CIAA) three times, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) once, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA - NCAA Division II) twice, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) nine times, the Southern Conference (SoCON) twice, the Big East once, the Big South once and the Patriot League once.  WSSU will also battle five teams that are classified as NCAA Independents.

Transition Year Two . . . The Lady 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 Lady Rams are an independent team that will join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2007-08.  Winston-Salem State University will become a full-fledged Division I member that is eligible for championships during 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 2010-11 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.

A New Era; A Proud History . . . The Lady 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 12 winning seasons en route to posting an overall mark of 331-337 over the span of 25 years of play.