With two come-from-behind victories,Rams sweep A&T for first time in 30 years

The Winston-Salem State men's basketball team accomplished a task that hadn't happened in 30 years—sweeping I-40 rival, the Aggies of NC A&T on Feb. 22. 

The Rams traveled to the Greensboro Coliseum in front of a crowd of 7,000 and came from behind again to defeat the Aggies 79-74. WSSU had been down by as many as 17 points. 

The win marked the first time since the 1979-1980 season that the Rams had defeated A&T twice in the same season.  In the first battle which occurred Jan. 25, the Rams responded with a 59-57 victory, despite another double-digit deficit.

Like the first matchup, A&T began hitting multiple field goals.  Within the game's first 10 minutes, the Aggies connected on 73 percent of their shots.  The high percentage shooting gave the Aggies a 15-point lead, 31-16.  The Rams went on to miss seven of their first nine shots.    

However, coming from behind is territory that the Rams have been familiar with, having done so in eight more of their 12 victories this season.

"I never doubted that we couldn't come back," said Bobby Collins, Rams head coach.  

"This team has come back before. I knew that we were very explosive scoring going into the game."

The Rams turnaround win was a collective contribution.  

In the first half, the Rams trimmed the A&T lead with baskets from juniors Shelton Carter and Paul Davis.  Combining for more than half of the Rams first-half points, Carter and Davis scored 17 points cutting the Aggies lead to 43-33 at halftime.  

After facing their largest deficit of 15 points for a second time, 52-37 early in the second half, the Rams responded with an 8-0 run with more baskets from Davis, as well as scores from senior Brian Fisher and freshman Marcus Wells.  The trio's shots cut the lead to single digits, 52-45 with 13:46 remaining in the game.   

"Defensively, we picked up our pressure," Collins said.  

"We got into a groove offensively. We started scoring on a consistent basis.  It was just a matter of us putting it together."    

Carter, Davis, and Fisher continued to knock down shots for the Rams.  Junior Andrew Jackson and sophomore Lamar Monger got in on the action as well, continuing to diminish the Aggies lead.  

Fisher tied the Rams and Aggies at 61-61 with just under eight minutes left in the contest.  The scoring surge eventually led to a 3-point basket from Jackson.  

That field goal gave the Rams a 64-61 command with 7:24 remaining, the first lead for the Rams since the game's opening two minutes.  

WSSU led for the remainder of the game including more plays from Jackson who added two more 3-pointers en route to their 79-74 victory.  

"It was just the guys making plays," Collins said.  

"I wish I could take credit for it, for what had happened, but players make plays this time of year.

 "It [the win] showed how much character these men had on the road with a deficit and to come back and win a game of that magnitude."

Fisher finished with a game-high of 25 points, while Jackson added 13 points, and Carter contributed with 11 points.

Davis, who had just celebrated his 22nd birthday two days before the road win over the Aggies, added 15 points and led the Rams with 12 rebounds.  

"To defeat them [A&T] on the road was huge," Davis said.  "We have never swept them [A&T] here in my three years, and this was the school's first time in 30 years, which made our team a part of history.  

"It was very special for the team, the coaches, our entire program and for our fans."