SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University men's basketball team came up on the wrong end of a defensive battle on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins by a 61-56 final inside Maggs Gymnasium.
The Marlins (10-2, 3-0 ODAC) reeled in the first six points of the contest before
Reed Rebstock and
Kedrick Frink tallied five straight in response through three minutes.
Jordan Oates answered a pair of Marlin finishes with five straight points of his own, tying the contest at 10 through just over seven minutes.
The Sea Gulls (11-5) battled over the ensuing five minutes, outscoring their seafaring counterparts 10-8 in the stretch to take a 20-18 lead.
Leon Elung and
Elijah Bryan parried Marlin baskets before the guests dropped in a pair of free throws, tying the affair once more at 25.
Rebstock, Frink and Oates all scored in the final two minutes to stave off a VWU surge and help the Sea Gulls lead 32-30 at the break.
A 13-1 Marlin open to the second half established a 43-33 lead for the visitors with just under 15 minutes to go. The ensuing 10 minutes were arduous, with SU stacking 16 points against VWU's seven to return within one point of the lead with just over five minutes left, 50-49.
VWU converted a pair from beyond the arc, but
Brendan Davis and Rebstock stacked two baskets in response to remain within two points of the lead. Davis sank a pair of free throws to tie the game at 56, but a 6-2 Marlin close to the game sealed the 61-56 final score.
GAME NOTES
- Jordan Oates picked up his nation-leading 12th double-double in the loss, finishing with 14 points and 15 rebounds across 37 minutes. Oates continued his season-long hike up the program's career scoring list, passing former teammate Gary Briddell '22 with 1,323 points to rank 12th in SU history.
- Brendan Davis finished with nine points, four assists and a trio of boards.
- Reed Rebstock scored nine points on three makes from range.
- Kedrick Frink scored nine points and added four rebounds.
- The Sea Gulls shot 33.9 percent (19-of-56) from the floor, 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from beyond the arc, and 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the stripe.
The Sea Gulls get after it again on Wednesday, tackling the Saints of Marymount (Va.) at 7 p.m. in the back half of a doubleheader inside Maggs Gymnasium. Tickets for the twin bill are available
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.
