BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Salisbury University men's basketball team dropped its penultimate contest of the calendar year, falling to the Bridgewater College Eagles by a final score of 61-54 at Nininger Hall on Friday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The defenses ruled in the first half of the matinee matchup. A total of six points were scored in the opening six minutes, all netted by Bridgewater, to open a 6-0 advantage.
• Aidan Camper broke the Sea Gull scoring drought, finding the bank open from beyond the arc to cut the margin to three, but the Eagles responded with a layup just 27 seconds later to set the score at 8-3.
• Each team was held scoreless for nearly four minutes before Reed Rebstock found the nylon to dig into the deficit, 8-5. Rebstock added three more points in just 80 seconds to tie the defensive battle at 8-8.
• The hosts did not wait to respond, piecing together a 9-0 run that grew their lead to nine with just over six minutes remaining in the period. Salisbury recorded the next five points, but Bridgewater closed the half on a 9-4 run to set the halftime line at 26-17.
• Following the break, the teams traded blows. Salisbury stacked eight points against Bridgewater's seven across the first three minutes of the second half, bringing the score to 33-25.
• After a trio of Eagle free throws, Jordan Oates and Buddah Spencer each found the basket to cut the Bridgewater lead to seven. Spencer and Elijah Bryan joined forces to roll out a 6-3 run that yanked the margin back down to four, 39-35 with just under 12 minutes to play.
• A minute of scoreless action later, the sides continued to trade blows. The hosts narrowly outscored SU 7-4 in the ensuing minutes, helping extend the lead to 46-39. A 7-2 run followed, extending the gap to double-digits at 53-41 with four minutes remaining.
• The Sea Gulls snapped off a furious 7-0 rally in less than 90 seconds, with Brendan Davis nailing a floater to cap the run. The Eagles converted three chances from the stripe before Cameron Heard cashed in a free-throw line jumper to return the margin to six, 56-50.
• Spencer nabbed a rebound and went coast-to-coast to bring SU within four, but Bridgewater connected on late free throws to survive the late scare and secure the 61-54 decision.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Reed Rebstock posted a team-high 10 points and three rebounds.
• Cameron Heard and Buddah Spencer each tallied nine points. Spencer added seven rebounds across 21 minutes.
• Jordan Oates collected a game-high 15 rebounds while adding five points, two steals, and one block.
• Elijah Bryan finished with five points and a game-high four steals.
• After a slow first half offensively, Salisbury shot 43.8 percent from the field in the second period. SU made a pair of threes and shot 10-of-17 from the free-throw line in the loss.

BRIDGEWATER GAME NOTES

• Aaron Oates led all scorers with 15 points including 10-of-10 shooting from the charity stripe. Oates also collected six rebounds.
• Jordan Cooper tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds to earn a double-double while rejecting two Salisbury shots.
• Khalil Ward finished with 10 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks for the Eagles.
• Bridgewater shot 31.5 percent (17-of-54) from the floor, 19.2 percent (5-of-26) from beyond the arc, and 78.6 percent (22-of-28) from the stripe.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls are back in action in less than 24 hours, traveling to face sixth-ranked Hampden-Sydney on Saturday, Dec. 30.
• Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Kirby Field House.

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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, 197 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.