? ? The Choice for African-American News
The Chronicle
SportsWeek.
January 10, 2002
Lady Rams' offensive struggles
continue at Glenville State Classic
SPF.CI At. TO THF. CHRONIfl H
GLENVII.LE, W.Va. -
Winstorv-Salem State's women's
basketball team continues its
struggles, losing two games at
the Glenville State Tournament
last weekend.
The Lady Rams, who fell to
6-7 on the season, lost 84-48 to
the host Pioneers in game one
and fell 87-42 to \^st Liberty
State in a second-round match
up. The losses didn't help the
Lady Rams' prospects as they
head into the toughest part of
their schedule.
The Lady Rams jumped back
into CIAA action on Tuesday
night when they played host to
St. Augustine's College. They
will continue their conference
schedule on Saturday, Jan. 12,
when they travel to Livingstone.
* WSSU's players hurt them
selves with their ball-handling
and shooting in both losses. The
Lady Rams turned the ball over
21 times vs. Glenville State and
shot just 32 percent from the
field. About the only bright spot
was the play of Monique Kirk
land. who was the only player in
double figures for WSSU, with
10 points. Kirkland, who made
five of 13 shots from the field,
also contributed five rebounds.
Lashonda Horton came off
the bench to score 8 points for the
Lady Rams in the loss. Horton
was two-of-three from the field
and also pulled down eight
rebounds to lead the Rams in that
category. WSSU was outre
bounded in the game by a 43-31
margin.
Against West Liberty State,
the Lady Rams' shooting woes
continued. WSSU never got into
a flow offensively and shot a sea
son-low 26 percent, making only
18 of 69 from the field. Their
shooting from long distance was
even more dismal as they made
only 1 of 10 from behind the 3
point arc. The lone bright spot
for Winston-Salem State in the
lopsided .loss was freshman
LaShonda Horton, who recorded
her team-leading sixth double
double, scoring 12 points and
grabbing 15 rebounds. Her per
formance earned her all-tourna
ment honors as well as her third
CIAA Rookie of the Week
Award.
The Lady Rams were outre
bounded again in their loss to
West Liberty. West Liberty
enjoyed a 50-37 advantage. Hor
ton had little support from her
teammates. Danielle Propst's 6
points were the next highest total,
and Aletha Corpening had six
rebounds to back Horton on the
boards.
*jjlJ
LaShonda Horton
Jury still out
on Rams' Stitt
From The Press Box
t Sam Davis
Imagine being in Philip Stitt's shoes as
Winston-Salem State reaches the midway
point in its basketball season. Stitt, the
Rams' interim basketball coach, replaced Rick
Duckett last summer. Stitt has led the Ranis to a
9-2 record as they approach the meat of their sea
son.
If it hasn't already been the case, a lot of eyes
will be on Stitt the rest of the way.
?? When the WSSU administration made the
decision 10 nire sun
on an interim basis,
it put pressure
the players.and Stitt.
The players, who
supported Stitt and
spoke up for him
after Duckett
announced his resig
nation. will,-, to a
large measure,
decide Stitt's fate
with their play on
the court. With nine
seniors on the roster,
Deos most 01 wnom nave
been in the Rams
system for four seasons, the Rams came into the
season as the favorites to capture the CIAA West
ern Division regular season title and win the
league's post-season tournament.
But it won't be easy. The Rams are facing a
CIAA schedule that includes a lot of teams that
are vastly improved. Not only that, but WSSU is
having to deal with some internal problems that
could short-circuit the Rams' run at their goals of
capturing the CIAA tournament championship
and reaching the Elite Eight in Division II bas
ketball.
The Rams have come within one game of
See Press Box nit B2
1?;
?
rnoto fty Hruce L hapman
Josh Howard's defensive pressure caused all kinds of problems for the University of North
Carolina in last Saturday's game in Chapel Hill. Howard helped spark Wake Forest to its
biggest victory ever against the Tar Heels.
Rams lose to Lincoln
in tournament finale
Dye torches WSSUfor 38 points
and captures MVP honors
BY SAM DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE .
Anyone expecting Winston-Salem State
to cruise to an easy victory in the Bighouse
Gaines Classic was in for a big surprise. The
Rams had little trouble in capturing a victo
ry in the opening round of the tournament,
running their home winning streak to 17
games when they rolled to an easy victory
over Concord College. However, Lincoln
University (Missouri) didn't exactly lay
down in the championship game.
The Blue Tigers proved to be the Rams'
best competition of the season. Lincoln got
38 points from guard Kenny Dye and 19
more from Mario Davis in an 87-82 victory
over the Rams.
WSSU fought an uphill battle through
out the game burttill had a chance to send
the game into overtime at the end. The
Rams cut a 13-point lead to 2, 75-73, at the
2:Q5 mark. But Centellis Tucker's 3-pointer, .
which could have given the Rams a lead,
wouldn't drop. Davis hit consecutive 3
pointers for the Blue Tigers while Shawn
Alexander kept the Rams close with two
field goals ctoae to the basket.
Lincoln made four free throws in the
final 23.7 Meonds to extend its lead to 85
79 with 12.9 remaining. But Alexander
answered with a 3-pointe'r. The Rams then
called timecrtrt ttffth 4.7 seconds left. WSSU
forced a 5-second call and got the ball back.
But Lincoln stole the inbounds pass and hit
two free throws to seal the win.
Philip Stitt, WSSU's coach, said his
team's defensive lapses cost it a chance to
win.
"We lost tonight on defense," Stitt said.
"We gave up at least 10 layups in the first
half and we couldn't recover."
Stitt said the Rams might have been
overconfident after capturing victories in
their last eight games. That and looking at
Set? Rams on B2
Woodbury set for first
playoff game with Jets
BY SAM DAVIS
THE CHRONIC ! [
Winston-Salem and Win
ston-Salem State will be well
represented in the NFL play
offs that will begin onStmtr
day. Two former Rams are
among the players who will be
involved in games. Oron.de
Gadsden of the Miami Dol
phins and Tory Woodbury of
the New York Jets will earn
playoff bonuses because their
teams clinched playoff berths.
The playoffs might be old
hat for Gadsden but will be a
first-time opportunity ? for
Woodbury. Woodbury, a rookie
who made the team on the
strength of his special teams
performance, hopes to see his
first action in tfie playoffs.
Woodbury, who grew up in
Winston-Salem and starred at
Glenn High before matriculat
ing at WSSU, sustained an
injury in last weekend's game
^against the Oakland Raiders.
Woodbury suffered a quadri
ceps injury but still will likely
see action an the Jets' special
teams.
The injury came just a
week after Woodbury touched
the football for the first time
during a regular season game.
? He recovered a fumble to set
the Jets in scoring position in a
14-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Woodbury is part of a spe
cial teams unit that has turned
lots of heads this season. In
fact, many NFL analysts have
m
Woodbury
pointed to the team's special
teams as the contributing fac
tor in the Jets' win last week,
which put the team in the play
offs for the first time since
1998.
In the second quarter, Chris
Hayes, long the Jetj? special
teams leader, beat one-on-one
blocking by the center to block
See Woodbury on 82
Inexperienced Carver girls JV improving
Short-handed Yellowjackets lose to Northeast Guilford, 44-19
BY SAM DAVIS
rm CHRONICLE
Coaching Carver's junior
varsity girls basketball team
can be aYhankless job - espe
cially considering the type of
talent that has come through
the Yellowjackets' program.
With 6-0 center Donella
Miller and several other talent
ed youngsters bypassing the
junior varsity ranks and going
to varsity, Carver is just trying
to make the most of what it has
and preparing the players for
helping keep the program at
the top of the state's 3-A
ranks.Ooach Jim Wright said
that isn't always easy.
"We have a lot of young
players and our focus is on
Set Yellowjackets on B2
Although Carver has been scrappy on the defensive end of
the court, the Yellow jackets' offense hasn't caught up yet,
according to coach Jim Wright.
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