Nick Martinez Spoils Owls' Senior Day with Last Second Shot

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Salem State men's basketball traveled to Westfield State University for their regular season finale, where a turnaround jumper from Nick Martinez (Revere, Mass.) with five seconds remaining would spoil the Owls' senior day and secure an 82-81 victory for the Vikings.

N. Martinez led the Vikings with 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, while Jarnel Snow-Guzman (Lynn, Mass.) contributed 15 points off the bench. Tyrese Rho (Boston, Mass.) and Liam Byrne (Melrose, Mass.) each recorded five assists, with Rho adding 13 points and Byrne finishing with 10.

For the Owls, Kenneth Rogers Jr. and A.Z. Allah led the charge off the bench with 23 and 15 points, respectively. Lid Moreland had an all-around performance, posting 17 points, six steals, five assists, and two blocks in the effort.

How it Happened:

• The Vikings scored three straight point to jump out to an early 7-0 lead, which they would maintain until an Owl three-pointer at the 14:40 mark tied the game at 11. Shortly after, Snow-Guzman hit three consecutive three-pointers, sparking an 18-6 run that put the Vikings up by 12 with 8:45 remaining in the half.
• In the final seven minutes of the half, Allah and Rogers Jr. dominated, combining for 18 of the Owls' 21 points, with Rogers Jr. closing the frame off with a three-pointer at the buzzer, to give the Owls a 48-45 lead at the break.
• Five minutes into the second half, a layup by Byrne capped off a 15-0 Viking run, giving Salem a double-digit lead at 62-52. However, the Owls stuck around, and with six minutes to go, they cut the deficit to a single possession when Allah nailed a jumper to make it 74-71, before Moreland tied the game at 76-all with under four minutes left.
• The final three minutes saw three lead changes and two ties, with the Owls ahead 81-80 when N. Martinez made a game-saving play, forcing a jump ball and giving the Vikings possession with 22 seconds left.
• Martinez then delivered the heroics, hitting a fadeaway over his defender to put the Vikings up 82-81 with five seconds remaining. The Vikings would then lock down on defense to secure the victory.

Inside the Numbers:

• The Vikings recorded 23 assists on the afternoon, marking their second-highest total of the season.
• Four of the Vikings' five starters registered 3 or more assists.
• The Vikings finish the regular season with an 11-14 overall record and an 8-4 mark in conference play.

Up Next:
The Vikings will await their opponent for the MASCAC tournament semifinals, set to take place on Thursday, February 27th, at Twohig Gymnasium.