WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Friday night was a celebration of how far Winston-Salem State women’s basketball has come and a chance for the HBCU community to rally around something positive.
Six days after two shootings on the Winston-Salem State campus left one person dead and three others injured, the Rams returned to the basketball court Friday evening at the C.E. Gaines Center.
The occasion had already carried considerable anticipation.
Winston-Salem State entered the 2026-27 season ranked No. 8 nationally in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in program history. The Rams were coming off their first CIAA women’s basketball tournament championship, a 28-4 season and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
But the events of November 7 had changed the atmosphere surrounding the season opener.
Among those injured in the campus shootings was Makyiah Ward, a sophomore guard on the Winston-Salem State women’s basketball team, according to information independently established by HBCU Gameday.
On Friday, Ward was back in uniform, playing more than 27 minutes and scoring six points in the Rams’ 65-44 victory over Chowan.
Her presence on the court was one of the night’s most significant developments, even as the university remains in the spotlight in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Basketball provides an outlet after tragedy
Following the game, Winston-Salem State head coach Tierra Terry spoke to the media without any players. She acknowledged the difficulty of navigating the past week while preparing her team for a season carrying unprecedented expectations.
“Well, you know, first we thank God for his protection because, you know, anything could have happened at any time,” Terry said during the postgame press conference.
The second-year head coach explained that the program tried to redirect its attention toward basketball without ignoring what had happened around it.
“Basketball, it’s something that can be an outlet for you when all this negativity is going on in the world,” Terry said.
The shootings occurred during Winston-Salem State’s homecoming weekend, traditionally one of the most anticipated celebrations on the HBCU calendar. The university subsequently canceled remaining homecoming activities and Monday classes while offering counseling and other support resources.
Terry acknowledged that preparing for basketball had been challenging amid the normal distractions of homecoming and the extraordinary circumstances that followed.
“You just have to, life happens, you know, you just thank God and you keep it moving,” Terry said. “Because at the end of the day, you were given another chance at life.”
She also expressed sympathy for those directly affected by the shootings.
“I really hate for, you know, the families and the victims and everyone that went through that tragedy,” Terry said.
Terry thanked the community for supporting the team as 2,500 fans attended the home opener.
“Everyone came to support us, and we appreciate that,” Terry said. “And that probably was a positive spark in what just happened.”
Winston-Salem State begins championship defense
Once the basketball began, Winston-Salem State showed several of the qualities that helped establish the Rams as one of the nation’s top Division II programs.
Maia Charles delivered 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Nevaeh Farmer scored a game-high 18 points and collected eight steals. The Rams forced 31 Chowan turnovers, recorded 25 steals and controlled the paint by a 36-14 margin.
Winston-Salem State led by as many as 24 points before closing out its season-opening victory.
Still, Terry made clear that the defending CIAA champions have considerable work ahead.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a hard road,” Terry said. “I mean, there’s no easy way to win a CIAA championship.”
The Rams understand that repeating last season’s historic success will bring a different kind of challenge. No longer an emerging contender, Winston-Salem State enters the season with a national ranking and a target on its back.
But Terry believes the program’s internal expectations remain its greatest source of accountability.
“We just told them in the locker room, it’s hard to beat people who don’t quit,” Terry said.
On a night when basketball returned to the C.E. Gaines Center, that message carried significance beyond defending a championship.
The final score reflected a successful beginning to another highly anticipated season.
For Winston-Salem State, however, Friday was also an opportunity to gather, compete and begin moving forward following a difficult week — even as the consequences of the campus tragedy remain.
The Rams have a championship to defend as the HBCU looks to move forward.