SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University men's basketball team battled in a high-energy first half but faded late against the 14th-ranked Captains of Christopher Newport, dropping an 81-69 decision inside Maggs Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
The Sea Gulls (15-6) and Captains (18-4) seesawed through the opening five minutes, playing to a 12-12 split led by eight points from
Brendan Davis. CNU scored seven of the next nine points from there to take a 19-14 lead through not quite eight minutes.
Calvin Thomas checked in and converted an and-one opportunity to re-ignite the Sea Gull scoring, headlining a 7-4 stretch that cut the lead to just two. The guests responded in kind, logging seven straight points to take their largest lead thus far with nine minutes to go in the period, 30-21.
SU clawed its way back to within three, stacking 12 tallies against CNU's six with
Jordan Oates and Davis each logging three points in the run to bring the deficit within three, 36-33. CNU narrowly outpaced SU in the final five minutes, 11-8, to take a 47-41 lead into the break.
CNU scored eight straight and 11 of the second stanza's first 13 points to widen the margin, 58-43. A five-point swing by
Aidan Camper and a
Patrick Wynne driving finish returned the margin to 10, 60-50.
An 8-2 run erased SU's progress before the Sea Gulls embarked on a 12-7 run of their own, but the visitors held the maroon and gold at bay to secure the 81-69 final.
GAME NOTES
- Brendan Davis finished with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. He also added four assists and swiped three steals in the loss. His eight makes from the floor were also a career-best
- Jordan Oates tallied his 16th double-double of the season, collecting 19 points while hauling in 10 rebounds and swatting three blocks. Oates moved to fourth in program history in career rejections (99), passing Dameon Ross '94.
- Kedrick Frink and Leon Elung each scored six points, with Frink dishing out four assists as well.
- The Sea Gulls shot 41.5 percent (27-of-65) from the floor, 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from three-point range and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the stripe.
A two-game conference road trip awaits the Sea Gulls, who travel to Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, Feb. 8th to face C2C foe Mary Washington at 3 p.m. SU then faces CNU in Newport News before returning home on Feb. 19th.
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.
