Winston-Salem State opened up a new era in their basketball history with a 67-44 win over Anderson University on Nov. 14.
The game, played in the C.E. Gaines Center, was the Rams home opener and one of only six home games of this season, their first in Division I. It was also the first home game of the Bobby Collins era. The Rams first three games were played in Fresno, California where they played three consecutive nights, going 0-3.
If there was any question of how the Rams would respond to playing their fourth game in five nights they were answered quickly as WSSU jumped out to a 18-4 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first-half.
The Rams used their aggressive defense to catapult their offensive attack, forcing the Falcons into fourteen turnovers and scoring fifteen points off of them, helping them to a 29-15 lead going into the half.
Collins said controlling the tempo was key against the Falcons.
“If we would have allowed them to get into their half-court offense it would have been a closer game,” Collins said afterwards.
Neither team shot the ball very well in the first half, the Rams settled for the outside shot, and as a result shot 35 percent from the field. Anderson shot just 23 percent.
“I didn’t think they were being aggressive early,” Collins said. In the second half, the Rams took the ball to the basket and cruised to victory. The shot nearly 45 percent in the second-half, and went to the free-throw line 18 times in the second period, compared to only six in the first.
About mid-way through the second-half junior Darrell Wonge scored the Rams most exciting basket of the game. After catching the ball at the three-point line, Wonge drove to the basket, extended and dunked the ball over the arms of two Falcon defenders for a two-handed slam. The dunk drove the crowd into a frenzy but also earned him a technical foul for slapping the backboard on his way down.
When asked about the technical, Wonge smiled and turned his head the other way, “No comment.”
The Rams would go on to lead by as many as twenty five points in the second half, and with 3:49 left in the half, Collins allowed his reserves to play out the end of the game.
Leading the Rams in scoring was freshman guard Brian Fisher, who had 14 fourteen, along with two assist and three steals. Sophomore Jamal Durham finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Josh Stanley led Anderson with 11 points.
Although he was playing in his first home game as a Ram, Fisher said he wasn’t really nervous.
“If I’m nervous, I try not to let it show or Coach (Collins) will take me out of the game,” Fisher said with a smile.