Men's Basketball Edged by Salem State, 73-72

SALEM, Mass. -- Junior guard Shaquan Murray (Boston, Mass.) scored a game-high 20 points and sophomore forward Tyreik McCauley (Worcester, Mass.) added 18 off the bench to lead the Salem State University men's basketball team to a 73-72 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting Bridgewater State University on Saturday afternoon at Twohig Gymnasium.

The host Vikings improve to 10-6 overall and 4-0 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

Murray connected on 9 of 16 field goals, while McCauley went 7 of 11 from the floor and added six rebounds.

Sophomore guard Alexander Santos (Lawrence, Mass.) added 14 points for the Vikings, while senior forward Marcus Faison (Cambridge, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Five players scored in double figures for Bridgewater State led by 15 points from junior guard Rocky DeAndrade (Mansfield, Mass.). Senior guard Fawaz Mass (Taunton, Mass.) added 14 points, while junior forward Joseph Carty (Natick, Mass.) posted a double-double with ten points and a team-best 11 boards. 

Senior forward Greg Romanko (Mansfield, Mass.) tallied 12 points and six rebounds, and senior guard Patrick McGuinness (New City, N.Y.) notched ten points to round out the Bears' double-figure scorers.

In a game that featured seven ties and eight lead changes, the score was knotted at 39-39 at the break.

Salem used an 8-0 run, highlighted by five points from Faison, to open up a 58-49 advantage with 11:27 remaining in the second half. The lead fluctuated between nine and six points over the next five minutes.

A pair of free throws by Santos gave the Vikings a 67-59 lead with 6:43 left to play.

Down by eight, the Bears responded with an 8-0 spurt of their own to knot the score at 67-67 as the clock ticked down to four minutes. Senior guard Keyon Armstrong (Brockton, Mass.) got the run going with a three-pointer and also connected on a pair of free throws. Mass made 1 of 2 at the charity stripe to tie the game. The Bears corralled the offensive board after the missed free throw, but then turned the ball over.

The Vikings took advantage of the miscue as McCauley drained a three at the other end of the floor to put the hosts back on top, 70-67.

Following three successive scoreless possessions, Faison made 1 of 2 at the line to make it a four-point game, 71-67, with 2:07 showing on the clock.

Romanko knocked down a clutch trifecta to pull the Bears to within one. After a stop, McGuinness drove to the hoop for a layup to give the visitors a 72-71 lead with 87 seconds remaining.

Salem came right back with a pair of free throws from junior guard Rayshaw Matthews (Boston, Mass.) to reclaim the lead, 73-72, with 1:08 left to play. Neither team would score again.

Bridgewater turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but then forced a turnover with 23 seconds to go. The Bears had one last chance to win the game, but a floater in the lane was off the mark in the finals seconds. Carty grabbed the offensive board but was unable to get a shot off.

The Vikings shot 48% (29-61) from the floor, while the Bears connected on 47% (27-58) of their field goal attempts. Bridgewater went 8-for-21 (38%) from behind the arc and converted 10 of 12 (83%) free throw attempts.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Wednesday evening at 5:30. The Vikings travel to Westfield State University, while the Bears host Worcester State University.