ERIE, Pa. — WSSU kept its postseason roll going in emphatic fashion on Saturday, with the HBCU taking down No. 2 seed Gannon 67-48 to advance to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Final.
After opening the tournament with a dominant win over Glenville State, Winston-Salem State backed it up with another complete performance. The Rams never trailed, led for 39:49, and built their advantage to as many as 22 points in the third quarter in another statement win for the HBCU program.
WSSU set the tone again
WSSU set the tone immediately, jumping out to a 23-15 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 43-28 by halftime. The Rams shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and knocked down 7 of 10 from three-point range over the opening 20 minutes, overwhelming Gannon before the Golden Knights could settle in.
Maia Charles led WSSU with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, adding six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Nevaeh Farmer finished with nine points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Jakaiya Mack added 10 points and four steals. Makayla Waleed scored 10 points with three assists and five steals, and Alana Biosse chipped in eight points off the bench, hitting two three-pointers in the second quarter as the Rams built separation.
The Rams shot 43.4 percent from the floor overall and were especially sharp from beyond the arc, going 8-for-15 from three-point range, good for 53.3 percent. Gannon, meanwhile, shot just 33.3 percent from the field and made only 1 of 7 three-point attempts. The Golden Knights were even more bottled up after halftime, shooting just 7-for-29 from the floor in the second half and 0-for-4 from deep.
Defense again fueled the win for WSSU. The Rams forced 23 turnovers, turned those mistakes into 24 points, and collected 16 steals. Gannon had only four assists on 17 made baskets, a sign of how disruptive Winston-Salem State was on the defensive end.
WSSU also got key support across the rotation. Breonna Roaf had three points, three rebounds and two assists. Ah’Kiyah Pye added eight points and three assists, and the Rams got 18 bench points in the win.
HBCU continues in uncharted territory
Now 28-3, WSSU will face the winner of No. 1 Indiana (Pa.) and No. 5 Seton Hill on Monday with the NCAA regional championship on the line. After back-to-back dominant wins, the HBCU champions are one step from the Elite Eight.