Gates Records 2nd Career Triple-Double in Victory Over Falcons

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications  

SALEM, Mass.-  Senior Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) notched her second career triple-double to help lead Salem State to an 87-72 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference victory (MASCAC) over Fitchburg State on Saturday afternoon at Twohig Gymnasium. The Vikings boost their record to 8-9, 2-3 while the Falcons drop to 4-13, 1-3. Gates was instrumental in the team's victory with 11 rebounds, 13 assists, 15 points and eight steals.  

Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) and Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H.) were outstanding in the game as well, recording a double-double each. Goncalves made an impressive contribution of 12 rebounds and 13 points, while Teng added a career-high 31 points to go with 11 assists. Gates also recorded a triple- double (10 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists) in a win over Nichols in November of 2022.

For Fitchburg State, Rylie Harlow (Hanson, Mass.) was the leading scorer with 19 points while Stephanie Hart (Shirley, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 15 rebounds and 17 points.   

The action began with a layup from Goncalves, but Fitchburg State responded quickly, scoring on their next two possessions to take the lead. The two teams went back and forth, with Morgan Genness (Belgrade, Maine) scoring a three-pointer from the left side, giving the Falcons a one-point lead.

Salem State ended the first with a 5-2 run, building a four-point advantage, 24-20 before the second period.   

The Vikings started out strong in the second, extending the lead to 32-25 after a Teng basket. Salem State continued to dominate with Goncalves completing a three-point play. Gates added another basket, after a steal and score. A three-pointer by Teng right before the half made the score, 46-37 in favor of Salem State.       

The Vikings held a commanding nine-point lead at halftime. Teng led the Vikings with 16 points, shooting 7-12 from the field. Gates led the team with six assists and four steals, while Goncalves had nine rebounds. For the visiting team, Genness scored 11 points, Stephanie Hart had five rebounds, and Harlow had a team-high three assists.  

In the second half, the Vikings held a comfortable nine-point lead over the Falcons. Teng's three-pointer, increased the lead to 52-43 early in the third. The Falcons were forced to call a full time-out after another Gates steal led to a Nicolette D'Itria (Revere, Mass.) layup. Gates added another steal and bucket to increase the lead to 56-44. 

Although the Falcons managed to cut the Vikings' lead to eight in the third, Gates connected for a three-pointer, which caused the crowd to erupt in excitement. The Vikings then went on a 7-2 run to end the third period.

Salem State found themselves with a comfortable 14-point lead in the fourth, 68-54 over Fitchburg State. Back-to-back three-point plays by Teng and Gates helped push the lead to 16 points at the 2:25 mark, 85-69 before the Vikings went on to win 87-72.