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WSSU begins MEAC play today
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Published: January 10, 2009
Coach Bobby Collins could only shrug when asked if his Winston-Salem State team is ready for the next phase of its schedule.
WSSU (4-8) will begin its stretch of games against MEAC teams today at 4 p.m. at Maryland-Eastern Shore. Although the Rams won't be full members of the conference until 2010-11, they'll again play a full MEAC schedule.
"We are still searching for that identity," Collins said after Monday's 85-61 win over Columbia Union, an NAIA team.
Collins said that for the Rams to be successful, they have to start with defense. They have scored an average of 54.8 points and have allowed an average of 66.5 in their first 12 games.
Most MEAC teams play nonconference games against teams from major conferences, in part to help with budgets but also to see how they stack up. MEAC teams have a combined overall record of 37-99 this season, with only Bethune-Cookman at .500, at 7-7.
The Rams have played No. 4 Wake Forest, N.C. State, Georgia Tech and Old Dominion, and although they lost each game decisively, they also learned what they had to work on.
Center Paul Davis, the only Ram to start every game this season, said: "We had a tough nonconference season, and that toughened us up for the MEAC competition, so I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do. I feel like we are going to be successful."
WSSU won its only game against an MEAC opponent so far, beating S.C. State 68-65 in a road game Dec. 6, and did it without leading scorer Jamal Durham, who was out with a shoulder injury.
Brian Fisher, Isiah Tucker and Diontae Gibson have given Collins a solid three-guard attack. Tucker needs to make better decisions at point guard, and Collins has said that all season.
"Over the past two weeks we've been trying to find our identity, and we had a big team meeting," Tucker said. "We set our goals as to what we are going to do, and it starts with defense."
Tucker has 43 assists to lead the Rams, but he also has 42 turnovers.
Maryland-Eastern Shore (1-9) is on a four-game losing streak.
"UMES is starting to play well even though their stats might not show it," Collins said. "We just have to focus and defend, and I've told our team we need to find an identity, and that's what we need as we head into this stretch. Our identity has to be defense.
"If we play hard and play smart and continue to improve, then good things will happen."
The Rams have won three of their past four, also defeating N.C. Central and Division III Averett, but they lost 80-50 to Old Dominion.
The Rams will play three straight on the road after today, against Delaware State, Howard and Hampton. The game against Hampton on Jan. 18 will be at the Richmond Coliseum.
"It's a long stretch of road games, so we'll see what we are made of," Collins said.
■ John Dell can be reached at 727-4081 or jdell@wsjournal.com
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