CE GAINES CENTER, Winston --The Shaw men's basketball team got a 25-point showing from the bench, but fell 74-72 to the Winston-Salem State Rams on the road Wednesday.

The Bears (9-8, 5-4) had four players score in double figures, led by Shayne Saigo, who had 17 points and seven rebounds. Trent McIntyre tacked on 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals and DJ Thomas chipped in as well with 12 points and two steals.

The Shaw defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Wednesday's game, forcing 15 Winston-Salem turnovers while committing seven. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the other end of the floor. McIntyre's three steals led the way individually for the Bears.

How It Happened

After falling behind 29-17, Shaw went on a 6-0 run with 7:06 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from McIntyre, to narrow its deficit to 29-23. The Bears continued to close the gap, cutting the Winston-Salem State lead to 39-36 at the end of the first half with a buzzer beating three point basket from DJ Thomas. 

Winston-Salem kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 69-60 advantage before Shaw went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Thomas' jumper, to shrink the deficit to 69-68 with 1:41 to go in the contest. Shaw would get a good look to force overtime as Saigo's jumper from just beyond the free throw line bounced off the rim sealing the 74-72 win for the Rams. 

Game Notes

» The Shaw bench made an impact by adding 25 points to its scoring output.
» The Shaw defense forced 15 turnovers.
» The Bears struggled at the free throw line connecting on just 7-19 attempts. 
» Shaw got a team-high eight rebounds from Trent McIntyre.
» The Bears trailed for the entire contest. 

Up Next

The Bears return to action Saturday, January 27 as they host rival Saint Augustine's inside Spaulding Gymnasium. Tip-off is slated for 4 PM.