SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University men's basketball team clicked in its home opener against Penn State Abington, handling the Nittany Lions to the tune of a 97-63 final on Wednesday evening at Maggs Physical Activities Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Salisbury held the reins early in the contest. Kaiden Mines and Reed Rebstock combined to bury four three-pointers less than nine minutes into the contest to help the Sea Gulls build a 21-7 advantage.
• The Lions responded with a 9-1 run spanning nearly three and a half minutes to cut the margin to 22-16. The margin of six was the closest the guests would come for the remainder of the affair.
• SU outscored the Lions 27-14 across the final eight minutes of the half. The hosts hit six threes in that stretch, just one less than the team's season total entering the night's contest, to take a 49-30 lead into the locker room.
• Following the intermission, the sides traded blows. The Sea Gulls narrowly outscored the Lions, 9-7, through the first six minutes of the second half to set the score at 58-37.
• The maroon and gold netted eight of the next 10 points, taking a commanding 66-39 lead on the back of buckets from Brendan Davis and Calvin Thomas. After a Lion layup, Thomas logged back-to-back scores to extend the lead, 70-41.
• The teams alternated baskets across the next six minutes, but the Sea Gulls soon drove the final nail. Salisbury drew the curtains with a 10-0 run to lock down the 97-63 victory.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Kaiden Mines dropped a career-high 18 points and set a new high mark with six made threes as well.
• Reed Rebstock joined the barrage, burying five from range to finish with 15 points while adding pairs of rebounds and assists.
• Brendan Davis finished with 12 points and six rebounds on a pristine 5-of-5 shooting night.
• Jordan Oates resumed his role as glass cleaner, hauling in nine boards to go with seven points and two assists.
• Cameron Heard dished out five assists and nabbed four rebounds and four points in the win.
• Leroy Hamilton tacked on nine points while leading the Sea Gulls in steals with three.
• The Sea Gulls shot 48.6 percent (36-of-74) from the floor and 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from three-point range. SU made 11 of their 16 chances from the free-throw line.
• Salisbury's 14 made three-pointers were the most in a single contest for the program since Nov. 9, 2019.

PENN STATE ABINGTON GAME NOTES

• Alex Podolski finished with a game-high 25 points while adding five rebounds and two assists.
• Myles Haynes was not far behind, scoring 12 with three rebounds and a pair of dimes as well.
• Christian Niles led the team with seven rebounds and added nine points.
• Jake Schalki finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
• The Lions shot 39.1 percent (18-of-46) from the floor and 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from deep. PSA made 19 of 23 chances at the stripe, good for 82.6 percent.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls prepare to travel to the Keystone State for the Messiah Tip-Off Tournament, where they will face Oberlin on Friday, Nov. 17 and SUNY Brockport on Saturday, Nov. 18.
• Tip against Oberlin is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from Grantham, Pa.

---

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 196 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.