WSSU edges Bowie State

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Another win, another hero. This time, it was guard Justin Glover who saved the day for Winston-Salem State in a 70-69 win on Monday night over 15th-ranked Bowie State in front of nearly 2,000 at the Gaines Center.

Glover, who was shooting just 65 percent from the foul line, made two free throws with .3 seconds left to keep the Rams unbeaten in CIAA play. The Rams (9-2, 3-0 CIAA) made all the right moves despite not playing with two injured starters: leading scorer Lamar Monger (knee) and forward Stephon Platt (ankle).

"We're just blessed," said Glover, who scored 16 points, had three assists and three steals and was 8 of 8 from the foul line. "We have a coach that cares who never lets us not believe we can do it. He tells us to believe all the time, and that's what we are doing."

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Winston Salem State Gets Smoked by Tampa

TAMPA, Florida – The University of Tampa (4-7) men’s basketball team defeated Winston Salem State University (7-2) by a score of 64-61 to claim its second consecutive win in the Tampa Classic. The game was played at the Bob Martinez Sports Center.

Winston Salem State proved to be a great match up for Tampa as the teams fought in the paint to tie the score five times. UT was able to pull away due to finishing second chance points over WSSU with 11-2. Jon Riles and Osby Kelly led the Spartans with seven points while LaMar Monger led the Rams with eight to close the first half.

Callum Townsend found the basket to score 15 of 19 points in the second half. Townsend finished as the leading scorer of the game. Kelly came off the bench warm and chipped in a whopping 14 points. The senior was the second leading scorer. Ashton Graham followed with 12 points.

Justin Glover kept the Rams in the game as he finished with a high score of 17 points. Monger was the second leading scorer with 14 points. WSSU fell short at the line going from 80 percent in the first period to 66.7 percent in the second period.

GAME STATS

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WSSU loses 64-61 nail-biter against Tampa

TAMPA, Florida - Winston-Salem State, ranked 25th in Division II, lost its second consecutive basketball game in Tampa, Fla., on Friday afternoon, falling to Tampa 64-61.

The Rams (7-2) trailed by one and had the ball with 19 seconds left, but a turnover by Lamar Monger when he stepped out of bounds with three seconds left cost them. After the turnover, WyKevin Bazemore was forced to foul Ashton Graham of the Spartans. Graham hit both free throws to secure the win.

The Rams battled back from an 11-point deficit but couldn't close it and wound up going 0 for 2 in the Tampa Classic — with the added bonus of an 11-hour bus ride back to Winston-Salem.

Coach Bobby Collins of the Rams was encouraged by the way his team played compared to Thursday's 75-51 blowout loss to Eckerd.

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CIAA makes impact

HOME OF THE WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY RAMS
2011 CIAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS
2011 HBCU NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2011 RAMS Regular Season 11-0
NCAA Division II Playoffs: 2-1
NCAA Division II National Ranking: #3

WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA -- It's no secret that CIAA football had no respect on the national level.

But that could all change now that Winston-Salem State has matched the conference's all-time victories total in playoff games, reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs and has risen to No. 3 in the coaches' poll.

Before this season, the CIAA was 2-27 in the playoffs since 1978. The Rams were 2-1 in this season's playoffs, losing to Wayne State 21-14 in Saturday's semifinals.

Videographers: Cornell Jones and Desmond Barnes; 2011 CIAA Champions Winston-Salem State University. In the final Division II polls, the Rams are ranked #3 in the nation.

Coach Waverly Tiller of Elizabeth City State, who serves on the Division II championship committee, saw all three of WSSU's playoff games, and said he expects a boost from the Rams' run. Tiller's team also made the postseason but lost to California (Pa.) in the first round. This season was the first since 2006 that the CIAA sent two teams to the 24-team playoffs.

"It really does speak volumes for the CIAA," Tiller said. "Winston-Salem State being the region winner and getting recognized nationally is a big thing. It's every coach's dream, and now Winston has paved the way, and the message is that the CIAA can do it."

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A final look at the historic WSSU football season

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina -- In a historic season like the one Winston-Salem State just completed in football there are a lot of little things that have to go right.

I thought that the way the Rams approached each game is something you don’t see too often. Not once when I interviewed coach Connell Maynor or his players during the week did they look ahead to the big picture.

It’s kind of difficult for me to even listen to players and coaches talk about “taking them one game at a time” because it’s a bad cliché. It’s obvious you play the games one at a time but there have been numerous occasions where a team has looked too far ahead. The Rams never did that, and I’m not sure how Maynor and his assistant coaches pulled that off.

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Maynor looks ahead after Rams' loss

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - With their magical ride over, the Winston-Salem State Rams will need time to heal from the sting of just missing a chance to play for the NCAA Division II football championship. Coach Connell Maynor, on the other hand, couldn't help but look ahead. "We don't rebuild," he said, "we reload."

The Rams fell short of Maynor's summer prediction of a national championship with Saturday's 21-14 semifinal loss to Wayne State at Bowman Gray Stadium.

But their 13-1 record is the best in program history, and the 13 victories are the most in a season by a historically black college. Also, the Rams are CIAA champions, and their No. 3 ranking in the AFCA poll is a program best.

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Rams' Cooper faces draft decision 

Nicholas Cooper

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina -- Running back Nic Cooper emerged from the Winston-Salem State locker room Saturday with a large icepack wrapped around his right shin.

About an hour after the Rams' dream season ended with a 21-14 loss to Wayne State, Cooper couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment.

"It does hurt," he said of the Rams falling two wins short of the Division II championship. "You can see the finish line, but you can't get there. It's like you pull a hamstring, and you can't get there. It's a sick feeling."

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Maynor: CIAA stronger that its reputation

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - When coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State wants to get something off his chest he does it. Earlier this week, Maynor defended the CIAA and it’s reputation for being a weak conference.

“For all the CIAA haters and naysayers who say the CIAA is weak and we can’t play football and all of that, let me say this,” Maynor said. “I’ve been in the CIAA for two years now as a head coach and we are 21-2, and our only two losses have come against CIAA teams.

“So that tells you something — that the CIAA is stronger than people say.” Those two losses came last season, when Shaw and St. Aug’s beat the Rams.

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Ex-WSSU star Davis heading to Lithuania

Paul Davis #24

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Center Paul Davis, the all-time blocks leader in Winston-Salem State history, has signed to play professionally with a team in Lithuania.

Because of the NBA lockout, Davis — who exhausted his eligibility last March — said that the offers from overseas weren't there before. Since the lockout has been settled, he had more options.

"The good thing about the strike was I stayed here in Winston and took more classes toward my degree," said Davis (6-foot-9, 197 pounds), who was a four-year starter for coach Bobby Collins.

Davis said he only needs one class — which he can take online — and an internship to get his degree from WSSU. But today he'll leave for Lithuania to begin his dream of playing pro basketball.

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WSSU's Hayes feeling 'pure joy'

William "Bill" Hayes
Director of Athletics
Winston Salem State University

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Bill Hayes has a bounce in his step and a smile on his face that could light up a Christmas tree. Hayes, 68, is in his second year as athletics director at Winston-Salem State — and these are some glorious times for the school.

"There have been some long days and I think Saturday I put in 15 hours — but it was 15 hours of pure joy," Hayes said earlier this week. "I'm really happy for these coaches and kids, and I'm happy for the university because it deserves what it's getting right now. "I haven't had a chance to let out a big yell yet but I'm extremely happy for this school."

The third-ranked football team is 13-0 and will play Saturday in the semifinals of the Division II playoffs against Wayne State at Bowman Gray Stadium. The Rams are making noise on the national level, and Hayes is relishing what's going on.

Since he's come aboard ...

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU cruises and is now 13-0

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Sitting here at press row at the Gaines Center and I’m watching the Winston-Salem State women play West Liberty. It’s the second course of a full-course sports day at WSSU.

The day started with the Rams football team keeping the dream alive of winning a national championship when it beat New Haven 27-7 at Bowman Gray Stadium. Later tonight the Rams basketball team (4-0) will play Queens.

It seems like every time WSSU wins in football is ventures into new territory. This time the Rams set the season record for most wins by an HBCU. Fred Whitted, who keeps up with black-college athletics with his Black College Sports Encyclopedia, did some research on most wins in a season.

Whitted’s research shows that 12 wins were the most by HBCU in a season but now that WSSU has 13 it has the record.

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NEXT GAME: WSSU vs. Wayne State (MI) at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston Salem, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011.

TV: ESPN 

GAME TIME: Noon or 1 PM (to be finalized on Monday)

Winston Salem State Rams are going where no CIAA team has gone before

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- I guess it’s time to pose the question about this year’s Winston-Salem State Rams football team. There have been a lot of great CIAA teams in its history but is this WSSU team the best ever?

It’s certainly a valid question because now that the Rams have beaten California (Pa.) 35-28 on Saturday afternoon in front of nearly 8,000 fans they will venture into unknown territory.

No CIAA school has ever gone to the Division II quarterfinals, but the Rams are there and will get to play another home game this Saturday at noon against New Haven (Conn.).

The 12-0 Rams have the most wins in school history in a season and coach Connell Maynor is now 20-2 over two seasons. Maynor, who never turns down a chance to brag about his team, was in full throat afterward. He gave his thoughts on where this Rams team ranks in WSSU history.



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Whitted finishing up WSSU book

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- It has been said that timing is everything. Fred Whitted certainly hopes so.  Whitted has a new book scheduled to be completed Thursday — "The Rams House," about the history of Winston-Salem State athletics.

The book includes a section on WSSU's winning its ninth CIAA football title earlier this month and is scheduled to be finished two days before the undefeated Rams play in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Whitted, a 1975 graduate of WSSU who lives in Fayetteville, already has written several books on black college history. He was so intent on finishing this book, which he has been working on since April, that he didn't attend Saturday's playoff victory against California (Pa.) at Bowman Gray Stadium.

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Nic Cooper's three touchdowns lead Winston-Salem State over California (Pa.) 35-14 in Division II playoffs

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Clinton native Nic Cooper scored three touchdowns to help Winston-Salem State defeat California (Pa.) 35-28 on Saturday in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The 12-0 Rams built a 35-14 lead early in the second half. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

Cooper scored on a 6-yard run in the first quarter and on 1-yard runs in the second and third quarters. He carried the ball 20 times for 118 yards.

California quarterback Peter Lalich threw two touchdown passes to Lamont Smith in the third quarter after the Rams had taken the 35-14 lead. Lalich threw for 387 yards but also was intercepted three times.

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One down, three to go

Third-ranked Winston-Salem State was very comfortable in the Division II playoffs Saturday afternoon.  WSSU did what it needed to in a second-round game against 17th-ranked California (Pa.) and won 35-28 in front of nearly 8,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium. WSSU improved to 12-0 and advanced to a home quarterfinal next Saturday against New Haven.

"We're not finished," said running back Nic Cooper, who rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries and scored three touchdowns. "We've got three more games to play."

The 12 wins are a school record for victories in a season, and the quarterfinal playoff berth is the first for a CIAA program. The Rams also snapped the CIAA's nine-game losing streak in the playoffs. Coach Connell Maynor's team had not faced much adversity in a season in which it set the school scoring record, but that changed Saturday.

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Cal comeback falls short

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Division II playoff run for California, Pa., ended Saturday as third-ranked Winston-Salem State held on for a 35-28 victory in the second round. The Vulcans finish their season 10-3 thanks to too many turnovers and not enough offense when it mattered most.

The Rams (12-0) were making their first playoff appearance in 20 years and carved out a 35-14 lead early in the third quarter. However, the Vulcans came roaring back behind quarterback Peter Lalich with two touchdowns in a span of three minutes.

"The biggest thing we are proud of is how hard we fought in the second half," said Cal offensive coordinator Mike Kellar. "We looked like we wouldn't be able to be stopped there in the third quarter, but in the fourth quarter we had some fluke things happen."

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CIAA championship game is a hit

DURHAM, North Carolina -- It wasn't hard to spot commissioner Leon Kerry of the CIAA during the championship game at overflowing Durham County Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He was the one wearing the ear-to-ear smile.

The great experiment known as the football championship game reached a pinnacle with more than 10,000 people cramming into the stadium to watch Winston-Salem State beat Elizabeth City State 38-18 in what many described as one of the best atmospheres in recent memory for a CIAA game.

After all tickets were sold, late-arriving fans were reduced to watching from a hill just outside the stadium. "This was a great game and a great facility and a dream come true with how this worked out," Kerry said on the field after presenting the trophy to WSSU.

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WSSU is perfect this season by beating UNC Pembroke

Rams are 10-0 with CIAA title game coming up on Saturday

PEMBROKE, North Carolina – After seeing every one of WSSU’s games this season I saw something different earlier this afternoon in the 34-7 win over UNC Pembroke.

For the first time this season the Rams let the clock be their friend and kept chipping away at the Braves’ defense. The results were staggering especially when the Rams had a season-best 18-play drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes in the second quarter.

The Braves weren’t going to allow the Rams to win on big plays, so the Rams didn’t have any big plays. Just a lot of little plays that worked and with it the Rams completed a perfect regular season. At 10-0 the Rams have assured themselves a spot in the playoffs even if they lose to Elizabeth City State on Saturday in the CIAA championship game.

What was impressive in this game was how effective the Rams were in running the ball and mixing in short passes. Quarterback Kameron Smith and the rest of the offense never had a turnover and just a few penalties.

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Maynor, WSSU Rams have sights set high

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Coach Connell Maynor approaches a familiar football intersection driving a John Deere utility vehicle that resembles a golf cart as it climbs the rocky hill from the Winston-Salem State practice field to Bowman Gray Stadium.

The green cart, adorned with a tiny Rams decal on the front, matches the recreational tastes of a former quarterback who shoots around par during golfing months.

On October's final Saturday afternoon, though, golf takes a back seat beside bags of workout footballs while Maynor strives to scratch out a win against Shaw. The Rams, 8-0 and No. 9 in the NCAA Division II coaches' poll, look perfectly situated, having clinched a spot in the CIAA title game.



Despite routing the field by an average score of 48-16 thus far, the Rams could still blow their NCAA ride. Cruise control remains a dangerous illusion, which WSSU discovered last season when St. Augustine's and Shaw derailed the roaring red revivalists. Shaw intercepted a disastrous screen pass and converted a short touchdown drive for the second defeat.

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Undefeated WSSU Rams say they will stay focused

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Even though 13th-ranked Winston-Salem State will be playing perennial loser Livingstone on Saturday, in some respects this week will be one of the toughest for coach Connell Maynor.

His task is convincing the Rams (6-0) that they still must perform at a high level to beat the Blue Bears (1-5), who have just six wins in the past seven seasons.



Maynor, however, said he senses that his team understands what's in front of it. A victory will clinch the CIAA's Southern Division title and that will get the Rams a spot in the conference-championship game on Nov. 12 in Durham.

"You have to stay focused," Maynor said. "We have bigger goals of winning the CIAA and winning playoff games and the guys understand that. We have to be prepared every week because everybody wants to beat us."



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WSSU Rams have tough test coming up

Winston Salem, NC - It's a safe bet that when coach Connell Maynor and his staff reviewed the tape of WSSU's 22-17 win over Elizabeth City State they had to be encouraged.

One reason for that would be the crispness of the offense despite the bevy of mistakes. When the Rams weren't getting penalized their offense was very good. They started out scoring on three of their first five possessions of the game, and that's pretty good for an opener.

The task this week will not be any easier because the Rams will play at Virginia Union on Saturday. The Panthers, who are coached by Michael Bailey, who flirted with the vacant AD job at WSSU before Bill Hayes was hired, are 2-0 with two straight shutouts.

The Panthers have beaten St. Aug's and Benedict. On Saturday the Panthers won 27-0 and will look to avenge last year's loss to the Rams.


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Winston Salem State holds its first prospects camp

Winston Salem, N.C. - Coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State receives emails, YouTube clips and phone calls about possible football recruits on a regular basis.

 Sorting it all out can be daunting, so Maynor and his staff held WSSU's first "prospects camp" on Thursday at Bowman Gray Stadium. Division I programs have long held the camps during the summer, but they're rare for Division II programs. "I'm not aware of any of the CIAA schools that do this," Maynor said.

About 30 high school players attended the one-day camp, paying $25 each to be evaluated by WSSU coaches and to receive advice on parts of their games on which they might need to work.

Under NCAA rules, Maynor and his coaches can't comment...

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North's Collins to play golf at WSSU

SPENCER, N.C. — North Rowan’s Kyle Collins’ future was mapped out at the age of five. No one realized it at the time but when he visited his grandfather in Las Vegas as a little kid, a golfer was born.

“My grandfather got me started,” said Collins, who has accepted a scholarship to Winston-Salem State. “I picked it up pretty early. I always remember practicing my putting. I’d put a cup down and just hit it into the hole in the cup. I still do it to this day.”

Collins has played golf for Kelly Everhart for four years but this season, he had his sights set on impressing someone enough to get a scholarship. He was shooting in the high-30s to low-40s over nine holes when he started looking at colleges. “I was comparing my scores to all the colleges and thought Winston-Salem State would be the best fit,” he said.

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WSSU Rams fall in regional baseball

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Nick Gillung struck out 10 batters in the first four innings and allowed just three hits in seven innings Friday as Mercyhurst defeated Winston-Salem State 7-2 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional baseball tournament.

Despite finishing with just four hits, the Rams stayed close through 51/2 innings, trailing just 2-1. Mercyhurst broke the game open with three runs in the sixth, then added two insurance runs in the eighth. In the sixth, Mercyhurst used three consecutive singles to push across one run, then scored two more on an Ethan Santora double, making it 5-1.

Rams Open NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional with a 7-2 Loss to #17 Mercyhurst

LANCASTER, PA - The Winston-Salem State Rams (30-24) struggled to get their offense going in a tough 7-2 loss to the Mercyhurst Lakers (40-23), Friday afternoon. The Rams gave their best effort in the game, but the runs were hard to come by for the Rams as the team managed just four hits and two runs in the hard-fought loss.

Though the Rams, took the loss, the game gave a great defensive effort to keep the game in reach, trailing 2-1 through the first six innings, but the Rams were outscored 5-1 in the final four innings of play to take the loss. The Rams struggled against the Mercyhurst pitching with just four hits on the day and 16 WSSU strikeouts in the loss. The Rams were able to get on the scoreboard with some clutch hitting as junior catcher Michael Robbins forced an error to third base with a sacrifice bunt that scored junior second baseman Jordan Graham. Freshman outfielder Andrew Smith added a sixth-inning RBI single that drove in sophomore centerfielder German Reyes. The two runs were all that the Rams could muster, however as the team finished the day with the loss.

Box Score

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Pursuing QBs and criminals

Former Cavalier working on gridiron and DEA career

Winston Salem, N.C. - At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, Justin Kee is built to enforce justice on a football field.

In his freshman year at Winston-Salem State, Kee did some of that, and he’ll likely do much more of it through the next three falls. More importantly, he’s already working toward the same mission in the classroom.

Kee, a 2009 Lakeland graduate, earned an All-CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Scholar-Athlete award for the 2010-11 school year as he’s maintained a 3.0-plus GPA throughout the year. Kee, a defensive lineman for the Rams, is a Justice Studies major with the goal of becoming a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

“That’s exactly what I’m aiming for. I like learning about the justice system a lot and I’ve started looking at the things I want to do if I go to work for the DEA,” Kee said.

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