¢ Winston-Salem State is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. Enrollment is 5,557. Colors are Red and White. Nickname is Rams. The team plays at the 3,200-seat C.E. Gaines Center.

¢ This is the first meeting between the schools.

¢ First-year coach Bobby Collins is 66-70 in five years as a head coach. He led Hampton to a MEAC championship and berth in the NCAA Tournament last season.

¢ Barring a great finish, this will mark WSSU’s first losing season since 1995-96 when the squad went 7-18.

¢ Winston-Salem State opened the season with three losses at a tournament in Fresno, Calif.: to Fresno State (85-63), UC Irvine (53-41) and South Alabama (76-58). Other losses have been to Auburn (95-62), Georgia State (94-87), Coppin State (81-56), Georgia Southern twice (70-41 and 59-49), Lipscomb (62-46), Notre Dame (90-45), South Florida (63-43), Akron (79-67) and Georgetown (76-32).

¢ Tonight’s game is the third on a current seven-game road trip.

¢ WSSU has made just 34.2 percent of its floor shots and 27.9 percent of threes.

¢ WSSU will play a full slate in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference next season but not be eligible for the NCAA Tournament until 2010-11.

¢ WSSU has 49 winning seasons throughout history, including 23 20-win seasons and a 30-win season in 1967 when it won the NCAA Div. II title at 31-1.

¢ “Big House” Gaines is fifth on the all-time coaching win list behind Dean Smith, Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp and Jim Phelan.

¢ Winston-Salem State last beat a ranked team on Feb. 11, 2006 in Charlotte, N.C. The Rams stopped Johnson C. Smith of NCAA Div. II, 81-57.