Men’s Basketball Advances to MASCAC Tournament Finals with 78-70 Win Over Salem State
Framingham, Mass. - The Framingham State College men's basketball team used an 8-0 run over the final 1:30 of the game to defeat the Salem State College Vikings 78-70 in one Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinal game tonight at Framingham's Athletic Center. With the win the Rams improve to 16-9 on the year and advance to the finals of the MASCAC Tournament where they will face top seed Bridgewater State, who defeated Worcester State in the other semifinal tonight, in Bridgewater on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Vikings finish their season at 11-16.
The Rams were paced by senior guard and All-MASCAC Second Team selection Darius Yarrell (Brockton, Mass.) who picked up a team-high 21 points including 3-of-3 from behind the arc to go along with seven boards, five assists and two steals. Senior center Roderick Jackson (Cambridge, Mass.) was just shy of a double double with 16 points and nine boards, while First Team All-MASCAC honoree Josue Almodovar (Holyoke, Mass.) chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Billy Carey (Abington, Mass.) also recorded double figures with 13 points including four three pointers.
The Vikings were led by First Team All-MASCAC selection Brian Clark (Deerfield, Mass.) who led all scorers with a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Nate Simpson (Lowell, Mass.) added 17 points on 7-of-11 from the field, while senior guard Brennan Bennett (Northbridge, Mass.) added 14 points.
The Rams came out firing on all cylinders as they opened the game on an 11-0 run before Clark scored the Vikings first field goal, a layup with 15:06 remaining. Framingham State used a 14-4 run over the next four minutes to open up a 25-6 lead with 11:35 remaining.
The Rams continued to extended their lead and led by as many as 21 with 3:36 remaining in the half as they outscored the Vikings 12-0 on the fast break and were 6-of-8 from behind the arc. The Vikings struggled from the floor in the first half shooting just 40% and were 1-of-6 from behind the arc.
The Vikings clawed their way back into the game as they started the second half on a 15-7 run to pull within eight at 54-46 with 13:35 left. A Yarrell trifecta with 13:13 remaining started the Rams on an 11-5 run that saw them retake a 14 point lead with 9:22 remaining.
The Vikings continued to chip away at the Rams lead and used another run, this one 17-3, to tie the game at 68-68 on two Bennett free throws with 3:22 remaining. Clark picked up eight points on the run, while Simpson added six.
The Rams regained the lead on an Almodovar jumper in the paint, but two Bennett free throws with 1:57 remaining tied the score again.
A Jackson tip-in with 1:28 remaining put the Rams back in the lead and started them on the decisive 8-0 run. Their defense forced three straight Viking turnovers which they converted into back-to-back fast break buckets from Jackson and Yarell. Yarrell and Carey then each hit one of two from the line in the final 30 seconds to close out the run and the game.
The Rams shot 46.8% from the floor in the game including 61.5% from behind the arc, while the Vikings shot 42.2% and only 11.1% from behind the arc. The Rams outscored the Vikings 16-2 on the break in the game, while the Vikings held a 40-35 advantage in rebounds including 15 on the offensive glass.