SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's basketball team faced off against Hampden-Sydney College in the Optimist Classic championship game on Sunday afternoon, coming away with a 68-62 victory to take the top spot in the tournament. Last night, the Sea Gulls defeated Methodist University 87-75.

It was evident early in the game that both teams deserved to be in the championship round. In the first 11 minutes of play, the teams attempted a combined 19 three-point shots; Salisbury (3-3) shot 7-for-9 in three-pointers in that short time, racking up 23 points and taking a six-point lead over Hampden-Sydney (4-2). Senior guard/forward Greg Palmer (Salisbury, Md.) went 4-for-4 in three-pointers in the first half, notching 12 points in just 11 minutes. 

The shots from outside of the arc didn't stop there, as both teams played the perimeter cautiously without advancing into the lane. The Sea Gulls continued their assault from the three-point line, stretching their lead to as many as 15 points. Senior guard Devin Jones (Severn, Md.) also had a solid first half, going 2-for-3 in his three-point attempts and racking up 10 points. The Sea Gulls hit 75% of their three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of play. 

Salisbury's seven-point lead quickly amassed into a 21-point lead as the Sea Gulls continued to add to their three-point shot totals. The Tigers made a valiant comeback, going on a 14-0 scoring run and eventually closing the Sea Gulls' lead to just two with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Unfazed, the maroon and gold regrouped and tightened up their defense to preserve the win. Palmer had a career night in three-pointers, going 7-for-8 (88%). Overall, he finished with with 25 points and seven rebounds; Jones finished with 18 points.

The consolation game between Ramapo College (5-2) and Methodist (0-8) was a thrilling one, as the teams scored a combined 246 points in the double-overtime battle. After 50 minutes of back-and-forth play, Ramapo came away with the 129-117 victory.   

All-Tournament Team:

Salisbury- Devin Jones
Hampden- Sydney- Turner King
Methodist- Mark Jernigan
Ramapo- LaQuan Peterkin

All-Tournament MVP: Greg Palmer (Salisbury)