Vikings Fall in Northshore Battle

SALEM, Mass. – Salem State men's basketball hosted crosstown rival Gordon College at Twohig Gymnasium for their annual pre-Thanksgiving showdown, where the visiting team secured an 81-65 victory over the Vikings.

Liam Byrne (Melrose, Mass.) paced the Vikings with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Tyrese Rho (Boston, Mass.) added 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the loss.

For the Fighting Scots, Bernie McGuinness (Noblesville, Ind.) led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds and three assists while Alex Daniel (Nolensville, Tenn.) contributed 15 points in just 14 minutes off the bench in the win.

How it Happened:

• The game began with back-and-forth action before an 8-0 run by the Fighting Scots gave them a slight 21-13 lead at the 12-minute mark. The Vikings stayed within striking distance, and back-to-back baskets from Byrne brought them to within a possession, 32-29, with 5:17 remaining in the first half.
• Gordon maintained their lead and was ahead by nine with 1:20 left in the half before the Vikings responded with four unanswered points to cut the deficit to 41-37 at the break.
• Three minutes into the second half, Byrne cut the Vikings' deficit to just two points with back-to-back jumpers, making it a 43-41 game. However, the Fighting Scots responded and gained some breathing room five minutes later, as McGuinness hit a deep shot to give his team an 11-point lead, 55-44.
• The Vikings once again cut the lead to single digits, but the duo of McGuinness and Daniel responded with a 7-0 run that was ended by a three-pointer from LJ Hicks (Gardner, Mass.), bringing the score to 65-54 with 6:35 to play.
• In the final five minutes, Daniel sealed the victory for the Scots, scoring 10 of their 12 points during that stretch to lead his team to an 81-65 win over the Vikings.

Inside the Numbers:

• Wil Martinez (Revere, Mass.) had a season-high eight points in the effort.
• All 10 Vikings who played in tonight's game recorded at least one positive statistic.

Up Next:

The Vikings have a week off before returning to action next Tuesday, December 3, when they travel to Newton, Massachusetts, to face Lasell at 7 p.m.