Salem State Surges Past Men's Basketball

Salem, Mass. - Tavone Wynder (Boston, Mass.) scored 15 points and led a balanced attack as Salem State cruised past Framingham State 76-52 this evening in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's basketball game at the O'Keefe Center.

The win ends a three-game losing streak for the Vikings, who held the Rams to just 30% shooting and dealt them their ninth straight loss overall. SSU improved to 13-9 overall and 5-4 in MASCAC play, while FSU fell to 8-15 on the year and 1-9 in the conference. 

The Rams began the game well, jumping out to a 19-12 lead nine minutes in. Tyrone Figueroa (Revere, Mass.) had a three-point play and Rico DePaolis (Watertown, Mass.) connected from beyond the arc to stake the Rams to the early lead. However, Salem State ripped off a 19-3 run to take control for good. Wynder converted a three-point play and Nicholas Grassa (Lynn, Mass.) drilled a three to lead the surge which put the Vikings ahead 31-22 with 3:13 remaining. Figueroa hit a jumper to temporarily stop the bleeding, but the Vikings scored eight of the final 10 points in the half and entered the locker room ahead 39-26.

After its hot start, Framingham State made just two of their final 15 shots in the half. Salem State picked up where it left off in the second half, scoring 14 of the first 16 points to take a commanding 53-28 lead. Brian Ortiz (Salem, Mass.) had a bucket and a three-pointer and Wynder had a pair of free throws and a three to spark the run.

The Vikings won despite shooting just 42% from the field, but they were a solid 23-28 (82%) from the line. Wynder was just 4-9 from the field but made all five of his free throws. Grassa was the only other Viking player to reach double figures in scoring, as he finished with 13 points.

Figueroa and Justin Bryan (Red Oak, TX) led the Rams with 10 points apiece, while Patrick Cuff (Medway, Mass.) pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. 

The Vikings return to the hardwood Saturday afternoon when they visit Fitchburg State at 3 p.m. The Rams host MCLA on Saturday, also at 3 p.m.

Release courtesy of SSU Sports Information.