Beacons Hold Off Salem State's Comeback Attempt
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mass.-Boston (5-5) | 46 | 45 | 91 |
|
Salem St. (4-7) | 37 | 41 | 78 |
SALEM, Mass. – Charles Mitchell (Boston, Mass.) scored 35 points and Michael Walsh (Marshfield, Mass.) added 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench as UMass Boston held off Salem State 91-78 on Tuesday evening at Twohig Gymnasium.
The Vikings (4-7) fought back from a 16-point second half deficit, cutting the lead to two points, 79-77 after a free throw by Jaden Castillo (Lawrence, Mass.), but the Beacons went 7-for-8 from the free throw line as part of a 12-1 run over the final 3:15 to win going away.
Mitchell, who had 16 points after halftime went 11-of-26 (42.3%) from the floor and added five rebounds. Malik Lorquet (Sharon, Mass.) – 14 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks and Ike Eluwa (Princeton, N.J.) – 14 points, nine rebounds also had strong games for the Beacons (5-5).
Castillo led Salem State with 23 points on 6-of-10 (60.0%) shooting while Josiah Green (Springfield, Mass.) and Deven Okowuga (Lowell, Mass.) each had 11 points for the Vikings. Sean Bryan (Lowell, Mass.) finished with eight points, eight rebounds and three assists. Connor Byrne (Melrose, Mass.) added eight points and nine rebounds.
UMass Boston connected on 16-of-38 (42.1%) shots in the first half to build a 46-37 halftime advantage. The game remained close until a three by Charles Mitchell gave the Beacons a 21-13 lead with 0:25 left. The advantage stretched to 15, 33-18 before two free throws by Castillo made the score 39-34 with 2:59 remaining. However, another three by Charles Mitchell and two free throws by Eluwa put UMass Boston up by ten before the Beacons settled for a nine-point lead at the break.
Two more free throws by Eluwa gave the Beacons its largest margin 58-42 with 15:06 left in the second. The Vikings chipped away at the lead, and following two three's by Chris MacDonald (Wakefield, Mass.) and Okowuga, Salem State trailed by just six points, 71-65 with 7:29 left. Later, Castillo's layup and free throw conversion cut the deficit to 79-77 in favor of UMass Boston with 3:15 left. However, three turnovers by the Vikings quickly grew the deficit to six-points as UMass Boston pulled away, securing the victory from the free throw line.