Mclaurin's 33 Not Enough as Salem State Holds Off Men’s Basketball for 87-78 Win
Framingham, Mass. – The Salem State University men's basketball team closed the game on a 11-2 run over the final 3:10 and held off a furious comeback by the host Framingham State Rams to pick up an 87-78 victory tonight in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's basketball action. With the win, the Vikings improve to 11-6 on the year and 5-1 in conference, while the Rams slip to 8-10 overall and 4-3 in the MASCAC.
Freshman guard Apollos Wade (Taunton, Mass.) led five Vikings in double figures with a team-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor including six three pointers. Junior Brian Clark (Deerfield, Mass.) added 21 points on 7-of-12 from the floor to go along with five boards, while classmate Tristian Shannon (Andover, Mass.) added 14 and five. Sophomore Justin Nieves (Lawrence, Mass.) and senior Brennan Bennett (Northbridge, Mass.) also recorded double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Junior Marcus Mclaurin (Braintree, Mass.) led the Rams as he tied his career-high with 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 from behind the arc. Senior guard Royce Veal (Dorchester, Mass.) chipped in 18 points and five boards, while freshman Tyrone Figueroa (Revere, Mass.) added 15 points and seven caroms. Freshman forward Yemi Ajao (Randolph, Mass.) contributed eight points and shared game-high rebound honors with Mclaurin as each grabbed eight boards.
Salem State capitalized on their hot shooting in the first half as they connected on 13-of-29 (45%) from the floor. Seven of their 13 first half field goals were from behind the arc where they shot a staggering 64% (7-11) as they opened up a 43-31 lead at the break. The Rams struggled from the floor in the first half shooting just 39% from the floor and connecting on only 2-of-12 from long range.
The Rams chipped away at the Vikings lead in the second half pulling within five at 57-52 on a trifecta by Mclaurin with 12:58 remaining. Framingham State kept up the offensive pressure, never trailing by more than five again until the closing minutes, and pulled with two on several occasions before finally tying the game at 76-76 with 3:10 remaining on a lay-in by Figueroa. The Rams comeback was sparked by Mclaurin who scored 25 of his 33 in the second half.
On Salem's next possession, Wade put the Vikings back in the lead for good with a three pointer with 2:49 remaining. Wade's three was the only field goal on the decisive 11-2 run as the Vikings connected on 8-of-10 free throws in the final 2:20 to seal the win.
Both teams return to MASCAC action on Saturday as the Rams host Worcester State at 5:30 p.m. and the Vikings travel to Westfield State at 3 p.m.