SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's basketball team came up on the short end in its first home game of the season on Wednesday night, as it fell to Capital Athletic Conference foe Hood College, 71-61, in front of a crowd of 285 at the Maggs Physical Activities Center.

The Blazers (3-3, 1-0 CAC) got off to a quick start, outscoring the Sea Gulls 15-6. Salisbury (1-3, 0-1 CAC) answered back quickly with a pair of back-to-back three pointers to get within three points; the Sea Gulls would continue to chip away at Hood's lead, eventually overtaking the Blazers with six minutes remaining in the first half. A timely steal and lay-in by senior guard Devin Jones (Severn, Md.) gave the Sea Gulls the momentum they needed to play aggressively for the remainder of the half, entering halftime with a 33-29 lead.

The first minutes of the second half were tightly contested, as the Sea Gulls and Blazers both battled for possession. Hood was able to pull away from Salisbury and keep the Sea Gulls at bay until the final buzzer sounded.

The maroon and gold were led by sophomore forward Mike Mackzo (Bel Air, Md.), who posted his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard/forward Greg Palmer (Salisbury, Md.) was also a key player in the game, netting 12 points. Jones finished the night with nine points and four assists.

Salisbury will look to improve its record as it hosts the Optimist Classic this weekend. The maroon and gold's first game on Saturday, Dec. 5 against Methodist University is slated to start at 3 p.m. Game opponent and time are to be determined for the game on Sunday, Dec. 6; please visit www.suseagulls.com on Saturday evening for more information.