Page 8 "I'hc News Argiis
Sports
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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Rams begin 2010 with strong January effort
LATASHA
MILES
Sports Editor
The Winston-Salem
State men's basketball
team began the 2009-
2010 season below .500
with a 2-8 record in
November and
December.
The resolution: a
turnaround resulting in
a 5-3 January record.
The Rams bounced
into the new year with a convincing 94-
60 home win Jan. 4 over Washington
Adventist University. The win ended a
four-game losing skid for the Rams
marking their second largest victory for
the season.
Although the Rams fell six points
short of lOQ.points, the 94 points tied for
the most scored thus far. The Rams hit
another milestone during the game
snatching a season high 60 rebounds,
including 15 from junior Paul Davis.
Rams head coach Bobby Collins cred
ited recent ACC competition for Davis's
productivity.
"Paul has really been playing well
and consistent for us and he's been
doing some really good things," Collins
said.
"It's been against the Marylands, the
Georgia Techs, and the Wake Forests,
those [types] of teams.
[He's] been playing pretty consis
tent."
After a heart-breaking 49-48 loss at
Delaware State Jan. 9, the Rams
responded with their first road win
over Maryland Eastern Shore 75-70.
Freshman Marcus Wells led all WSSU
scorers with 14 points. Sophomore
Lamar Monger added 13 points and
Davis tossed in 12 points as the three
scorers in double figures.
The Rams went on to a two-game
winning streak after a 55-42 defeat over
Coppin State Jan. 16. Collins, the sev
enth head basketball coach in WSSU
history, also captured a personal victory
as WSSU Athletic Director Bill Hayes
extended his head coaching contract for
an additional three years through the
2012-2013 season.
"I am extremely excited about the
decision that has been made. Mr. Hayes
offered me three more years to coach
the Rams and work with these young
men," Collins said.
"I am grateful to be able to continue
to be a part of this program, part of
what we are building here. I am truly
excited and my team is excited and now
we can focus and concentrate on the
games that we have at hand."
Collins is in his fourth season as the
Rams head coach.
"I was very happy for him," said sen
ior guard Brian Fisher, the Rams lead
ing scorer averaging 11.3 points a
game.
"My first year was also his first year
so we have been with each other
through all the trials and tribulations.
And through [it all] I'm just happy that
he stayed strong and persevered
through it."
WSSU lost at home Jan. 18 to Morgan
State 84-65, but bounced back to an 82-
70 victory against Norfolk State Jan. 23.
One of the biggest wins of the season
came when the Rams beat rival NC
A&T by a final score of 59-57. WSSU
came from a 14-point early deficit to
capture the dramatic victory.
The Rams created 17 turnovers in the
first half and held the Aggies to six
points for more than 15 minutes of the
first half. WSSU cut A&T's lead to 10 at
halftime.
The second half started on a 19-7 run
and the splurge mounted the Rams to
their comeback with contributions from
Fisher, Wells, as well as unsung hero
junior Shelton Carter.
"If you were to look at our bench
during their opening run we never pan
icked, even when they were up 14
points," Collins said in a post game
interview.
"We didn't panic because I knew I
had that ace, our bench.
"I knew that they were going to give
me that energy. They [the bench] knew
that something positive was going to
happen.
"The Aggies shot the ball well, and I
told our guys that it is a game of runs
and we can bring them back to us with
effort, and that is what the bench gave
us."
The Rams finished January with a
close 75-69 loss at Florida A&M, but still
maintained a record over .500 for the
month, including 4-1 in home games
both at C.E. Gaines Center and
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial
Coliseum.
"I think the difference in our team has
been the effort that this group is putting
in," Fisher said.
"We made a commitment that no
matter the outcome we will always play
hard. For us to stay successful I think
we have to stick to the things that we do
which is playing harder, smarter, and
more together than the other teams,"
Fisher said.
"Also our bench will have to continue
to provide us with the energy they have
been giving that has been winning
these games for us."
Hayes brings new ideas to athletics
LaTasha Miles
Sports Editor
Since his hiring date of Nov.
3 as Winston-Salem State's ath
letic director, Bill Hayes has
taken the athletic department
by the horns at a non-stop
pace.
Hayes, a former winning
head football coach at WSSU
has had other coaching suc
cesses at NC Central and NC
A&T. He also went to Florida
A&M and served as athletic
director, before returning to
WSSU facing several tasks at
hand including fundraising
and raising the academic bar
for student-athletes.
"I think that this is a huge
challenge," Hayes said.
"All of the pieces to the puz
zle are here. I think that we
have the opportunity to raise
the necessary funds to have the
kind of program that this com
munity deserves. So I consider
it a challenge and I look for
ward to it."
Hayes' early endeavors have
included hiring the experi
enced Connell Maynor as head
football coach, extending the
contract of head basketball
coach Bobby Collins for an
additional three years, and ini
tiating the "Academic
Cookout" named in the honor
of alum Dr. Reginald K.
Sherard. The cookout is a sim
ilar event that Hayes has done
well with at previous schools
in a way to improve the gradu
ation retention and graduation
rates.
Hayes said part of the
process is putting as many per
sonnel members and financial
resources as possible to imple
ment the concept.
"We're working really hard
on that," Hayes said.
"We're trying to put some
real structure to it and a strong
system that will make sure that
the proper counseling, aca
demic monitoring and study
hall supervision to try to
improve these grades. That's
very important to me and this
staff."
Hayes emphasizes that the
cookout is just a start and the
process will be ongoing. He
said that progress has been
made and a lot more is in the
works as the focus is the stu-
dent-athletes and their accom
plishments.
Part of the focus on the stu
dent-athletes is creating pro
grams to generate funds for the
athletic department from local
businesses and boosters.
Hayes said that bonding
with the University, the stu
dent-athletes, alumni and the
community are parts of his
administration that he has
looked forward to, as well as
the fundraising side.
One of the programs, the
"1,000 Horns Campaign," is a
commitment from 1,000
alumni and friends from
WSSU who will make a yearly
contribution of $1,000 to athlet
ics. These donations will total
$1 million annually for the
department and the funds will
go towards scholarships.
Hayes said only 386 people
gave back to WSSU last year.
"We're taking our fundrais
ing efforts not just on the cam
pus," Hayes said.
"We have to put butts in
seats. We have to arouse peo
ple and give them incentive to
want to see what we're doing
over here because not enough
people are interested. We have
to take our show on the road."
Hayes is also interested in
expanding the athletic depart
ment into fields such as soccer
and women's golf.
"Athletics is a window to a
university," Hayes said.
"That's what students are
interested in and that creates
opportunities.
We have all types of activi
ties planned from banquets to
breakfasts, pep rallies, and din
ners. We have to revitalize this
department. We have a lot
more to do, but altogether as a
team, we will be successful."
WSSU MEN’S BASKETBALL STATS
NOVEMBER 2009 - JANUARY 2010
Graph compiled by
LaTasha Miles.
Information provided by
wssurams.com/backbl
Monthly Averages
After a 2-8 start in November and
December, the Winston-Salem State men's
basketball team improved to a 5-3 record in
January. The Rams improved in many statisti
cal categories, increasing their total of wins,
rebounds, steals and assists, while decreasing
their turnovers.
The difference is these stats are a primary
reason for the Rams tum around in 2010.
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