Head coach Stephen Joyner, Jr. and the Golden Bulls grab a 45-42 win against his former program at Winston-Salem State
Box Score
Box Score vs. Winston-Salem St.
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team slides past Winston-Salem State University for a 45-42 divisional win on Wednesday evening at Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU improves to 7-12 overall, 4-6 in the CIAA, and 2-2 in the division; while the Lady Rams fall to 9-11 overall, 4-6 conference, and 0-4 in the Southern.
The first half started out with a somewhat slow pace. Winston-Salem State held a 12-10 lead for over five minutes before senior guard
Brittany Dorsett (Winston-Salem, NC) hit a three-pointer. Junior guard
Kaylah Gholson (Brooklyn, NY) followed with a layup in transition to give JCSU a 17-12 advantage. Dorsett was successful on two more three-point attempt before the close of the half.
WSSU trailed 26-19 going into the locker room at halftime. Dorsett had a high of nine points at the break. Sophomore center
Chelsea Faulhaber (Charleston, SC) contributed with six points and three rebounds. The Golden Bulls shot 48% (10-21) from the field and 50% (4-8) from the three-point line in the opening.
Taylar Wells led the way for the Lady Rams with seven points. Vanessa Wells pitched in five points and three boards. Winston-Salem State only shot 26% (7-27) from the floor and 40% (2-5) from beyond the arc.
With the exception of tying the score 26-26 with 17:13 on the clock; the Lady Rams trailed for the entire second half. The game did boil down to the final possession. JCSU held a 45-42 advantage with 45 seconds remaining. The Golden Bulls failed to score on offense and WSSU grabbed the defensive rebound.
The Golden Bulls locked down on defense and WSSU could not get off a shot before time expired. JCSU held on for their second consecutive win, while the Lady Rams dropped their fifth straight.
“Whew, I can breathe,” said JCSU head coach Stephen Joyner, Jr.
Joyner faced off against the program where he began his head coaching career and spent the last two seasons. “Tonight reminded me of the bond I had with my student-athletes at WSSU and I have to continue to work to get that here. We're going in the right direction and I believe we'll get there, but it's a two-way street. I'm thrilled we got the win.”
Dorsett finished with a game-high 12 points, along with five rebounds and three steals. Faulhaber added eight points and three boards. Gholson had seven points and two steals. JCSU shot 35% (6-17) from the field in the second half and 42% (16-38) for the game.
Wells and Dionna Scott led the Lady Rams with 10 points each. Scott also had five rebounds and five steals. WSSU shot 31% (16-52) from the floor for the contest.
JCSU will try to make it three in a row when they face Shaw University on Saturday, February 2nd. Tip-off for this divisional matchup is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Brayboy Gymnasium.
