VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Salisbury University men's basketball team bounced back from a slow start with an impressive second-half showing on Tuesday evening, outpacing the Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan by 13 points in the final 20 minutes to carve out a 72-69 road victory.
The hosts netted nine of the first 10 points before an 8-2 SU run headlined by a pair of baskets from
Kedrick Frink pulled the contest back within two points through seven minutes, 11-9. The foes split the ensuing 12 points before Salisbury netted six straight to retake the lead with six minutes to play in the period, 19-17.
The Marlins (3-2) controlled the first half's closing minutes, outpacing Salisbury 17-5 in the closing minutes to lead 36-26 at the break. The Sea Gulls (4-2) started the second half sharp with a 14-3 run that swung the pendulum back in favor of the Sea Gulls with just over 14 minutes left, 40-39.
After a contentious four minutes, SU found its offensive footing through the hot hand of
Jordan Oates. Oates netted 17 of his points in the final 10 minutes of the game, helping kickstart a 12-4 run and build a 56-49 lead with just over six minutes left.
A five-point swing brought the game within two, but Oates scored six straight before a late and-one from Frink combined with critical conversions from the stripe helped SU seal the 72-69 decision.
GAME NOTES
- Jordan Oates shook off a slow start to put together his best shooting night of the season, dropping a season-high 27 points with 23 of those coming in the final 20 minutes at a 90 percent clip (9-of-10). The graduate forward's 10 makes were also his most in a game this season.
- Kedrick Frink netted his fourth double-digit outing as a Sea Gull, finishing with 11 points while nabbing four boards and dishing out three assists.
- Leon Elung tallied six points and shared the Sea Gull lead in rebounding with six boards.
- The Sea Gulls shot 26-of-45 (.578) from the floor, highlighted by a crisp 17-of-25 clip in the second half. SU made three of its nine tries from beyond the arc and shot 17-of-29 (.586) from the free-throw line.
The Sea Gulls return home on Saturday, Nov. 30th to host the Gallaudet University Bison. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. from Maggs Gymnasium with tickets available for purchase
online.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming) and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's 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 won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 201 conference championships, and have produced 50 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.
