RALEIGH, N.C. -  The Shaw University men's basketball team recovered from a 14-point first half deficit to claim a second half lead, but could not hold on in the closing minute as they fell to Winston-Salem State 68-66 Wednesday night at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.

With the loss -- their fourth straight -- Shaw falls to 6-12 overall, 4-4 in CIAA action and 0-2 in the division.  Winston-Salem State improves to 11-7 on the season, 6-2 in conference and 2-0 in the division.

In a game that was tied four times and featured seven lead changes, it is not surprising that the statistics were even in most areas.  WSSU hit 47.6 percent of their 42 shots, while the Bears sank 41.2 percent of their 51 attempts -- getting the extra shots off offensive rebounds.  Shaw led WSSU 39 to 24 on the boards, with 16 of them on the offensive end of the court.

Shaw outshot WSSU from the free throw line, hitting 21 of 30 for 70 percent, while the Rams hit 21 of 36 (58.3 percent).

In the first half, it looked as though it might be a Winston-Salem State blowout. 

After Shaw opened the contest with a bucket from Joe Reid, WSSU ran off eight straight points, taking an 8-2 lead on a three from Preston Ross off a pass from WyKevin Bazemore.

Shaw scored the next four points, cutting the lead to two, but WSSU built the lead back out to six, where it hovered for most of the first seven minutes of the contest.

After DaAaron Ward tipped in a missed shot for the Bears to trim the WSSU lead to four, Javan Wells sank two threes to give the Rams a 10-point advantage with 10:24 left in the first. 

Both teams went scoreless for more than two minutes, and when the scoring resumed, it was WSSU that hit the scoreboard first, scoring two buckets to extend their lead to 27-13 with 7:11 left.

Jeffery LeGree hit two free throws and then a three to cut the WSSU advantage to 29-20 at the 5:27 mark.

After Tyre Desmore hit a three to give the Rams a 33-21 lead, Shaw finished out the half on a 10-0 run to trim the lead to two on a pair of Derrick Hunter free throws that sent Shaw to the locker room down only two, 33-31.

Early in the second, WSSU extended their lead to six points on a jumper from Desmore, and they held a five-point 46-41 advantage with 14:47 left in the game.

Paulk hit a three to begin a nine-point run that gave Shaw a 50-46 lead on a layup from Aquil Younger at the 12:38 mark.

Shaw stretched the lead to seven on a dunk from Hunter on the fastbreak, giving Shaw a 56-49 lead with 8:01 left.

With 5:56 left, Shaw still held a five-point lead, but the Rams scored four straight to trim the lead to 58-57 when Kerry Campbell hit a fastbreak layup with 4:12 left.

Younger hit a jumper to lift the Shaw lead back to three, but Preston Ross' three pointer tied the contest with 2:57 on the clock. 

The lead seesawed back and forth for the next two and a half minutes.  With 22 ticks on the clock, Paulk hit a layup to give Shaw the 65-64 lead. 

Ross then hit a jumper, was fouled, and converted the three-point play to give WSSU a 67-65 lead.

At the other end of the floor, LeGree sank one of a pair of free throws to trim the lead to one with 4.8 seconds left on the clock.

The Bears then fouled Marquez Jones, who hit one of two free throws with four seconds left. 

As the clock ran out, Aquil Younger put up a shot to tie the contest, but it fell short as the Bears fell to the Rams 68-66.

Paulk led the Bears with 16 points, while Younger finished with 14.  Eight Bears found the scoring column, with five scoring eight or more points.  Hunter and Reid had seven rebounds apiece and Hunter three assists to lead the Bears.

Ross finished the contest with 23 points.  Jones had 13, Desmore 11 and Campbell 10.  Desmore's five rebounds and his and Bazemore's three assists paced the Rams.

The Bears take to the road -- but don't go far -- when they visit cross-town rival Saint Augustine's on Saturday.  Tipoff is 4:00 p.m.  Shaw returns home on February 1 when they host Johnson C. Smith at 4:00 p.m. at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.