WSSU photo
WSSU's Jamal Durham slams one home.
WSSU ends season
with heart-breaker
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
North Carolina Central
University, charged by senior ?
forward Charles Futrell,
refused to lose against long
time rival Winston-Salem
State University in the "Bonus
Game" of the Mid-Eastern
Athletic Conference
Basketball Tournament on
Championship Saturday
inside the RBC Center in
Raleigh, last Saturday.
The Eagles* determination
resulted in a 60-56 victory
over the Rams, as Futrell
poured in a game-high 28
points in his final college con
test. The Fayetteville native
shot 11 -for- 19 from the floor,
including 2-of-6 from long
range, and 4-of-6 from the
free throw line, while adding
seven rebounds, two blocked
shots and the game-saving
steal. /
Futrell's four made free
throws were the only points in
the final four minutes of the
game, as NCCU's stifling
defensive pressure forced
WSSU into seven missed
shots and two turnovers dur
ing the closing stretch.
WSSU stormed out to an
early lead, as the Rams scored
14 unanswered points to break
a 6-6 tie and enjoy their
largest cushion of the game at
20-6 with 11:50 on the first
half clock. The WSSU
defense was especially
impressive as the Rams held
the Eagles to just two field
goals in the first three minutes
of play.
WSSU's advantage was
31-22 with 3:41 left before
the break, when the Eagles
scored the last nine points of
the first stanza to tie the game
at halftime, 31-31. Futrell
closed out the opening 20
minutes with two thunderous
dunks, one on a put-back with
25 seconds left and the second
on a fast break following a
Ram turnover just prior .to the
buzzer.
The two teams, each tran
sitioning as Division I mem
bers, played to two ties and
exchanged the lead .seven
times in the second half.
NCCU held the largest sec
ond-half margin by either
squad, when the Eagles went
up 51-46 on a three-pointer by
Bryan Ayala at 10:46. The
Rams were not done, though.
WSSU senior forward Darrell
Wonge led the WSSU charge.
A Wonge three-pointer with
8:32 would pull the Rams to
within one point, 50-51 .
The game's waning
moments were just as exciting
as the rest of the contest as
both teams would need some
clutch free throw shooting to
remain in the game. A pair of
NCCU free throws with 2:48
left would leave the Rams
trailing, 56-58. The two teams
would go scoreless for the
next minute and a half, setting
up a nail-biting final minute
of play that featured five
WSSU fouls, three WSSU
timeouts, and three missed
NCCU free throws. ~
Unfortunately for the Rams, it
also included three missed
shots that could have tied the
game. In the end, North
Carolina Central would hit a
pair of free throws with two
seconds left to play to seal the
60-56 win.
Ayala finished with eight
points, a team-high eight
rebounds, four assists and
three steals in 40 minutes of
work for NCCU (4-26).
"It's a great feeling to
close out our season with a
rivalry win in front of our
fans," said Ayala, who was
brought to tears after the emo
tional victory.
WSSU (12-18) was topped
by senior Darrell Wonge, the
lone Ram to score double-fig
ures with 18 points.
The loss will end the
Rams' season at 12-18 and the
Eagles will end the season
with a 4-26 overall record.
Aggies
from page 31
selves in another tight ball
game in the tournament. It took
a late 1 1-0 run before the Aggies
could rid themselves of Florida
A&M in the quarterfinals. It
took late rallies in regulation
two fouls called on their best
post player.
"I have to keep my compo
sure," said Bibbs when asked
about whether she should have
driven her point home to the
point of being called for a tech
nical. "If I lose my composure,
my team will lose theirs and we
and overtime before
the Aggies eliminated
Hampton on Friday,
and it appeared on
Saturday that the
Aggies had one more
late run available even
though they lost, a key
component to the
team.
Smalley, who has
been the Aggies most
consistent player
Bland
couidn t have that
during that point of
the game. It was a
big loss for us
because she is a
young lady who has
been playing some
great basketball for
us."
Cunningham hit
one of two free
throws to give the
Eagles a four-point
lead. But the Aggies
throughout the tournament, was
called for a foul with 57 seconds
remaining. It was followed by
perhaps one of the biggest cads
of the game. Smalley. who aver
aged 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds,
3.7 assists and 2.0 blocks in the
tournament, went up to block a
Cunningham jumper. She
blocked the shot, but was called
for a foul with 52 seconds
remaining.
The call prompted Smalley
to run to the other end of the
floor in disbelief. In a matter of
five seconds, the Aggies saw
have not late deficits affect them
in the tournament. Tyronnica
Alford raced down court and
scored on a layup to cut the lead
to two. After an Oakley free
throw. Amber Bland got open
for a 3-pointer that she netted to
tie the game at 70 with 25 sec
onds remaining.
"This is very tough on the
whole A&T family," said Bibbs.
"It wasn't meant to be today, but
I told them to remember this
feeling because I believe this
group will make it back here."
Johnson to play in All-Star Classic
C HRONIC LE STAFF REPORT
Roster>> for the 1 1th Annual
Carolinas All-Star Classic,
presented by Lowe's Home
Improvement, were announced
last week by the North
Carolina Coaches Association
(NCCA) and South Carolina
Athletic Coaches Association
(SCACA).
The ten roster spots on
each team were filled by out
standing high school seniors
and represent thirty-seven
schools from across both
states.
Winston-Salem Prep's star
center, Reggie " Big Reggie"
Johnson, was among the play
ers named to the all-star squad.
Other North Carolina bailers to
make the squad wgre
Thomasville's EJ Abrams
Ward, Concord's Daniel
Neiman, East Mecklenburg's
Malik Smith and Tyler Walker,
from Hanover High.
"It's very exciting to be
chosen to play with some of
the best players in North
Carolina," Reggie Johnson
told The Chronicle. "I get a
chance to meet some of the
other good players around the
state. This isn't something that
I even thought about at the
beginning of the season. 1 was
so focused on winning a state
r
* Photo by David Hinton
W-S Prep senior Reggie Johnson will play in an all-star game next month.
?- *
championship. Now that the
season is over I am really
excited about playing in such a
game. This is going to be a
great opportunity .for me. I
can't wait.
All-Stars from North
Carolina will battle all-stars
from South Carolina on April
5, at 12:30 p.m. The special
game will take place at
Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
Tickets for the Carolinas All
Star Classic, presented by
Lowe's Home Improvement,
are on sale now at the
Charlotte Bobcats Arena box
office, all Ticketmaster outlets,
Ticketmaster.com and charge
by phone at (704) 522-6500.
Ticket prices start at $15.
1
'Pretty'
Fast
Photo by Jeff Sides
The Mt. Tabor girl's 4x400
meter relay team anchored
the Spartan outdoor track and
field team last week during
the highly competitive city/
county meet at Mt. Tabor last
week. Pictured are (from
right ) Andrea Beck , Caitlin
Brown. Shenita Martin and
Taylor Dewberry. The team
won the event with a time of
4:06.99.
SOMETIMES BEING STRONG *#
- ? .? *
IS AS SIMPLE AS BEING SUPPORTIVE.
If vour s5nrCr^aTi5h"UrS>ant to talk to you about joininq
the U.S. Army, take a lislenti he^Tfrv/Tlfers over 150 job^opportunities
and money for colleqe.Nt'swor't^nearinq about. You made them strong..
We'll make them Army St ronqAToHeffff'more visit qoarmy^com/for parents.
U.S. ARMY |
ARMY STRONG
ra?.%.ia;feTTr.mfc?A'
Do you have what it takes to be
Army Strong.