Endicott Rallies Late to Defeat Salem State
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Endicott (5-4, 2-1) | 32 | 55 | 87 |
|
Salem St. (3-8, 0-0) | 37 | 43 | 80 |
SALEM, Mass. -- Endicott erased a nine-point second half deficit, to defeat Salem State 87-80 at Twohig Gymnasium on Thursday evening. Trailing 61-52 with 8:20 left, the Gulls rallied late, outscoring the Vikings 24-12 over the final 5:14 to escape with a seven-point victory. Endicott is now 5-4 on the year while the Vikings dip to 3-8.
Salem State's Tyrese Rho led Salem State with 24 points, going 9-of-16 from the floor to go with a pair of steals. Nick Martinez produced 19 points while Omri Merryman added 12 points and six rebounds. Liam Byrne scored seven points and had 13 rebounds and four blocks.
Endicott was led by Marcus Montagnino, who scored 15 of his team-leading 24 points in the second half. Montagnino finished 9-of-14 from the field and also had five assists. Elijah Kinney produced 18 points and nine rebounds. Cam Keliher - 17 points and Jeff Hill - 11 points and five assists also topped double digits in scoring.
How it Happened:
- Salem State opened the game with a 15-3 run as Nick Martinez and Rho combined for 10 of the points. The Vikings took their largest lead of the half at the 11:31 mark following three made free throws by Merryman.
- A Hill jumper took Endicott to within four points, 27-23, but the Vikings answered with a quick 6-0 run, spurred by Rho, who provided the spark with three straight layups.
- Keliher brought Endiccott to within 35-32 following a three-pointer, but Byrne answered, giving Salem State a 37-32 halftime lead.
- Nick Martinez led all scorers at the half with 12 points as the Vikings were 13-31 from the field (41.9%). The Vikings were also 10-11 (90.9%) from the free throw line.
- The Vikings maintained a five-point cushion in the second half until a three by Carter Koenig tied the game at 43-all. A steal and fast break layup by Rho, who was also fouled, quickly helped Salem State regain a six-point lead, 49-43.
- Trailing, 61-52, the Gulls closed the gap behind back-to-back three's by Hill and Keilher. Montagnino then gave Endicott its first lead,72-70 with a made jumper with 3:20 remaining.
- The Gulls were forced to ice the game from the free throw line, connecting on 10-of-13 attempts over the final two minutes in earning a seven-point victory.
Inside the Numbers:
- Endicott finished the game shooting 42.6% (29-68) while Salem State was 28-60 (46.7%) from the field.
- The Vikings were 20-24 (83.3%) from the free throw line.
- Kinney, who was 5-8 and 5-5 from the free throw line, scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half.
- Salem State held a 34-18 advantage in the paint.
Up Next:
The Vikings travel to Bowdoin this Saturday, December 14th for a 1:00 pm tip-off.