SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University men's basketball team survived a late push from the Gallaudet University Bison on Saturday evening, gutting out a 73-68 result inside Maggs Gymnasium.
The Sea Gulls (5-2) found a groove early, commencing the contest with a 15-4 run punctuated by seven points from
Jordan Oates to build an early lead. The visitors climbed back into the contest with a 9-4 stretch that narrowed the matchup through eight minutes, 19-13.
The Bison (0-7, 0-1) answered a
Daniel Oyediran jumper with six straight points and seven of the ensuing nine to bring the battle within one possession, 23-20.
Aidan Camper tallied five points to punctuate a 7-2 run before Salisbury took six of the final 10 to bring a 36-26 advantage into the break.
The halftime break was good to SU, scoring six of the first eight points of the second period. The Sea Gull surge continued after a pair of Bison baskets as the hosts scored nine straight as part of a 12-2 run, building a 54-34 maroon and gold advantage with just under 14 minutes remaining.
Gallaudet rolled out a run of their own, netting 12 straight points across six minutes to breathe new life into the matchup, 54-46. A narrow 10-9 edge set the score at 63-56 with just under four minutes to play.
Leon Elung tallied consecutive finishes before a tip-in from
Kedrick Frink pushed the lead to 13 in the closing minutes. The Bison mounted a late comeback bid with seven straight points and a 12-3 finish to the contest, but the Sea Gulls hung on late to escape with the 73-68 win.
GAME NOTES
- Jordan Oates notched the second 20-20 game of his illustrious Sea Gull career, dropping 21 points while securing a career-high 21 boards and adding three blocks in the victory. With his efforts tonight, Oates climbed to fifth in program history in career rebounds, leapfrogging John Berens '82 by one board (935). He also vaulted to 19th in program history in scoring with 1,140 career points, surpassing Kevin Cromer '93.
- Kedrick Frink finished with 16 points, his second-highest output as a Sea Gull, while adding seven rebounds and four assists.
- Aidan Camper dropped 11 points while tacking on five rebounds and a team-high four steals.
- Leon Elung scored nine points while finished second on the team with nine rebounds.
The Sea Gulls hit the road for a three-game road trip, beginning with a familiar foe in Washington (Md.) on Wednesday, Dec. 4th. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from Chestertown, Md.
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.
