UCASVILLE, Conn. – Winston-Salem State had as much as a 13-point lead in the second half, and held off a late Benedict rally to defeat the Tigers 62-59 in the consolation game of the Chris Paul HBCU Classic at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday afternoon.
 
The Rams led 49-36 with 16:20 left in the game. Benedict was able to rally back with an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 49-47 with 10:45 remaining. The Rams, now 2-7, built the lead back to seven points, 59-52, with 3:18 on the clock.
 
A layup by Cadarius Baggett cut the lead to 60-59 with 1:13 left to play. After a missed shot by Winston-Salem State, Baggett missed a shot for Benedict. The Rams sealed the game with two free throws with nine seconds remaining. Baggett missed a 3-pointer at the end.
 
Baggett finished with a game-high 21 points for the Tigers and was named to the All-Tournament second team. Tariq Shepherd added 15 points and Jordan Butler had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Tigers, 2-9 overall, will have a break for the Christmas holidays, and return to action on Jan. 2 with a home contest against Central State at 7:30 p.m. in the HRC Arena.