Lady Rams Head Across Town to Fa

Lady Rams Head Across Town to Face Rival Wake Forest
WSSU seeking first win of the season against Atlantic Coast Conference foe
Trevin Goodwin
December 20, 2007

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (0-8) will head across town to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10-2) in a battle of crosstown rivals. Friday’s game will be one of the biggest games of the season for the Lady Rams. Not only will the team face it’s cross town rival, the Lady Rams will also get a rematch of one of the most memorable games from last season.

The two teams had a heated battle last season with the game going into overtime and the Lady Rams ending with an 82-66 loss. After battling to a 65-65 tie at the end of regulation last season, the Lady Rams were outscored 17-1 in the overtime period to take the loss. None of eight Lady Rams that dressed in last season’s epic battle will take the court this Friday, however. This season’s battle will feature a brand new cast of Lady Rams as senior guard Keoshia Worthy, the only WSSU player to return from last season’s squad suffered a season-ending knee injury at USC-Aiken. Friday’s game will feature a much different set of faces with eight new Lady Rams taking the court for the first time in the rivalry. WSSU freshman center Vontisha Woods will look to lead the way for the Lady Rams on Friday as the team’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.

The game will feature a battle of former teammates when WSSU’s freshman tandem of guard Nikki Kee and Montague Austin will square off against former high school teammate Mekia Valentine. All three players suited up for nearby Dudley High School in Greensboro, NC and will face each other for the first time as collegiate players.

The Lady Rams will have their work cut out for them when they take on a red-hot Wake Forest that has started the season with a 10-2 mark with some dominating performances early this season. Some of their more impressive wins include wins over Indiana, James Madison, and at Northwestern. Guard Alex Tchangoue leads the way for the Deacons with an 11.8 point per game average while forward Corinne Groves adds 11.7 points per game.

The two teams are scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Friday.