WSSU's regular season was trying as it now looks ahead to CIAA Tournament

How trying of a season has it been for Corey Thompson, the first-year mens coach at Winston-Salem State? After suffering through a 14-game losing streak his Rams finally made all the right moves on Friday night in a win over Shaw at the Gaines Center.

It was a hard-earned win that had Thompson in tears afterwards.

It was tears of joy, said Thompson, whose Rams followed that up with a win over Livingstone on Saturday night at Joel Coliseum to end the regular season.

This is personal for me and its not just a regular job.

I love Winston-Salem State and love this program and for us to get our first CIAA win those were tears of joy for sure.

Winston-Salem State head coach Corey Thompson calls for a time out in the Rams' 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2024 at Joel Coliseum.

Saturdays win was the final game of a regular season that couldnt have ended fast enough for Thompson, a proud alum and member of the CIAA championship teams in 1999 and 2000.

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When Cleo Hill Jr.

left late in the summer to Maryland Eastern-Shore to test his luck as a Division I coach, it was left to Thompson to cobble together a team.

Hill took all of his best players thanks to the transfer portal and Thompson was left with not much of a roster.

He and his assistant coaches did the best they could in grabbing what was left in the portal, but pickings were slim.

As the Rams head to the CIAA tournament in Baltimore , they have a 4-21 record and were just 2-14 in the CIAA.

The good news is those two wins have come in their last two games.

The hardest part of this season has been just trying to get the guys to buy in, Thompson said.

Despite not having success the one thing about my guys is they always played hard.

Winston-Salem State head coach Corey Thompson reacts in the first half of an NCAA mens basketball game on Saturday, Nov.

16, 2024, at the Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Francis Marion Patriots defeated the Winston-Salem State Rams, 77-71.

Coming from a high school coaching job to Division II wasnt as easy, and Thompson said he found that out the hard way.

When he signed a four-year contract for $125,000 a year, the hope was he could at least be competitive in the CIAA this first season.

Instead, the losses mounted and even when the Rams kept games close, they couldnt close them out.

It was a steady flow of poor defense, bad shot selection and too many turnovers.

Lance Gill, a sophomore who was on the roster last season but missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, said it wasnt easy to navigate so many losses.

Theres been a lot of ups and downs and a lot of rough days, Gill said.

We finally got over that hump and going to the tournament will surely give us a lot of confidence.

I guess a lot of teams have probably counted us out.

Thompson said he never lost faith in his team and used his strong faith to get through the trying season.

Winston-Salem State's Lance Gill dunks the ball against Livingstone on Saturday Most importantly, my faith is what I lean on the most, Thompson said.

And that is, my pillars are faith, family and basketball.

Untimely, talking to mama (Letita) Duckett and coach (Philip) Stitt and confiding in them has helped me tremendously.

An added bonus for Saturday nights game was the halftime ceremony recognizing the 1999 and 2000 CIAA championship mens basketball teams.

Thompson played on those teams and about 15 of his teammates, and former assistant coach Floyd Butler were there to support him.

It was a big deal for Thompson to have his teammates there.

Coach Corey Thompson of the Rams was on those two teams We had to win this team, Thompson said, or Rob Williams was going to kick my tail.

Im glad to see those guys come back and like I told them, its not about our era because I want to get all the eras to come back.

Marcus Best, one of Thompsons former teammates, said he knows that Thompson will get the program back to where it belongs.

We came to support Corey and to keep Coach (Rick) Ducketts memory alive, Best said.

To us, this is more than just a team and Coach Duckett changed our lives.

When we came here to Winston, we were predicted to be in last place, but Coach Duckett taught us to overcome adversity and Corey is going to do that with this current team.

Hell get this turned around because this is Winston-Salem State and that means something.

Hes a calm giant.

Thompson said the Rams have nothing to lose this week in Baltimore and if they can continue the momentum from this weekend, they might surprise some teams.

At the end of the day, its one and done and weve been through adversity and some of these teams havent had the adversity so Im excited about what we can do in Baltimore, Thompson said.

The sixth-seeded Rams will play Wednesday in Baltimore against the defending CIAA champions, Lincoln (Pa.), at noon at the CFG Arena.

Lincoln (Pa.) and Coach Julius Hodge, the former NC State star, is the third seed from the Northern Division.

Winston-Salem State head coach L'Tona Lamonte instructs her players in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

It was an emotional day for Coach LTona Lamonte on Saturday.

She first attended the funeral of her mentor, Coach Alfred Poe , who was the longtime coach and athletics director at Carver High School.

Then she coached the final home game of her college career.

Lamonte will retire at the end of the season at WSSU, a place where she came to play softball and basketball after growing up in Winston-Salem.

As she was walking off the court at Joel Coliseum after the loss to Livingstone, she couldnt help but think about Poe.

She will retire at the end of the season after nine years at her alma mater As I was listening to everyone that was there at the funeral and talk about the importance of what he did off the court compared to on the court, I think that made me think a little bit more like, wow, have I really been more impactful off the court than I have been on the court? Lamonte said.

I wanted to accomplish things on the court, but I also wanted to make an impact in these womens lives.

The Rams finished the regular season 7-19 overall and 3-13 in the CIAA.

One of the reasons Lamonte is ending her career in coaching is that her husband, Donald, is battling cancer.

Hes on his third straight week of chemotherapy and at one point during the season she had to miss a game at Fayetteville State.

Hes doing OK and hes battling hard, Lamonte said.

As for her team, Lamonte says there hasnt been the consistency she strives for.

Right now, I think we are the sixth-place team, and nobody is going to expect much from us, Lamonte said.

But I remember when we were a No.

3 seed, we got knocked out by the sixth seed, so it can happen.

I just want us to have a good showing in Baltimore .

The sixth-seeded Rams will open CIAA play on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

against third-seeded Bowie State.

PHOTOS: WSSU men's and women's basketball teams wrap up regular season at Joel.

Winston-Salem State's Lance Gill dunks the ball against Livingstone on Saturday Winston-Salem State's Abou Camara dunks the ball against Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Masaun Moore-Bryant sinks a three-pointer from the wing against Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State head coach Corey Thompson calls for a time out in the Rams' 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2024 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jaiden Thompson drives the lane on Livingstone's Ta'Jae Jenkins in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Tyre Boykin sinks a jumper over Livingstone's Ibrahim Kourouma in the second half of the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State assistant coaches Alphonza Kee (left) and Tony Jones react to a call against the Rams in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Micah Jones defends a shot by Livingstone's Teon Tiller in the final minute of the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jaiden Thompson drives defends Livingstone's James Nipper in the final minute of the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Abou Camara (left) and Tyre Boykin celebrate in the closing seconds of the Rams' 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State head coach Corey Thompson talks with his team in the huddle in the Rams' 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State head coach Corey Thompson directs his team in the Rams' 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Khyelle Ingram shoots over Livingstone's Paul Tako in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jaiden Thompson and Livingstone's Ibrahim Kourouma battle for possession in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jaiden Thompson steals the ball from Livingstone's James Nipper in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jeremy Dixon listens as head coach Corey Thompson gives him direction during a break in the action of the Rams' 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jeremy Dixon leads the Rams in transition in the 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Masaun Moore-Bryant drives to the basket under pressure from Livingstone's King Ijeoma in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's J'vonni Roblejo reaches for a rebound under pressure from Livingstone's James Nipper in the Rams' 77-71 win on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's broadcast team of John Williams (from left), Ken Winfrey and Ryan Anthony work the Rams' games against Livingstone Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State fans cheer on the Rams during their 77-71 win over Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Livingstone's Bria Griffith blocks a shot attempt by Winston-Salem State's Jakaiya Mack in the Rams' 66-55 loss on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State head coach L'Tona Lamonte instructs her players in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jakaiya Mack gets past Livingstone's Bria Griffith for a lay up in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday.

Winston-Salem State's La'Niya Simes sinks a basket under pressure from Livingstone's Thalia Carter in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Maya Madison Walker gets past Livingstone's Bria Griffith for a basket in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Christiana McLean sinks a basket under pressure from Livingstone's Ny'Asia Green in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday.

Winston-Salem State's Christiana McLean leads the Rams in transition in their 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Chloe Williams pass the ball around the top of the key during the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Livingstone's Samiyah Briggs and Winston-Salem State's Tolisha Walker battle for possession during the Rams' 66-55 loss on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State assistant coach Mike Moses, Jr.

talks with Tolisha Walker during a break in the action during the Rams' 66-55 loss on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jaleesa Lanier defends Livingstone's Ny'Asia Green in the Rams' 66-55 loss on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Jaleesa Lanier and Livingstone's Samiyah Briggs battle for possession in the Rams' 66-55 loss on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Sierra Hunter sinks a basket under pressure from Livinigstone's Bria Griffith on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Karina Scott drives past Livingstone's Samiyah Briggs on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State head coach L'Tona Lamonte calls a play in the Rams' 66-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State head coach L'Tona Lamonte directs her team against Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State guard Alexandria Warren looks to feed the post during the Rams' game against Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Winston-Salem State's Sierra Hunter sinks a basket under pressure from Livinigstone's Bria Griffith on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

LIvingstone's Kyonna Kelly escapes the pressure of Winston-Salem State's Jakaiya Mack on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

Former Winston-Salem State basketball players gather for a photo to represent 50 years of women's basketball at WSSU during the women's and men's games against Livingstone on Saturday, Feb.

22, 2025 at Joel Coliseum.

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