Men’s Basketball Trip Up Salem, 86-79

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Unofficially the playoffs have begun for the MCLA Men's Basketball team who welcomed the Salem State Vikings to the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium this evening. The Trailblazers entered play today on the outside looking in for the final playoff spot. It took a dominant 32 point, 15 rebound performance from Quentin Gittens to push MCLA back in to a playoff postion, a half game ahead of Fitchburg, who fell to Westfield 99-95, and a half game behind the idle Framingham State.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
• Score: Salem 79, MCLA 86
• Records: Salem State University Vikings 9-13 (MASCAC 6-3) | MCLA Trailblazers 5-17 (MASCAC 3-7)

HIGHLIGHTS

• MCLA opened the game with a nearly seven minute long, 19 to four run, that was bookended by threes from graduate student forward Jackson Brown (Latham, NY) and sophomore guard Colin Quin (South Hadley, MA). Junior guard Craig Williams (Dover, DE) picked up the assist on both Brown and Quin's baskets.
• Salem responded with a 13 to two run of their own that was capped by a pair of free throws from Tyrese Rho, chipping away at the Trailblazers' lead, getting as close as four points with just under ten minutes to go in the first half.
• Another run by MCLA, this one 14 to two, pushed the hosts' lead back to 14 points at 35-21 when senior guard JoJo Garcia (Henderson, NV) sank a pair of free throws with just over four minutes left in the first half. The teams went in to the half time locker room MCLA ahead 38-28.
• While the first half was a defensive struggle, the second half was an offensive extravaganza, with six players scoring double-digit point totals in the second half. For MCLA it senior guard Quentin Gittens (Pittsfield, MA) led the way with 19 points after the break, powered by a 15 of 18 showing at the charity stripe. Garcia and Williams each scored 10 points following the intermission. For Salem, it was Rho (16 points), Nicholas Martinez (14 points), and Omri Merryman (10 points) providing the offense.
• The Vikings would eventually chip away at the Trailblazers' lead, getting to within three points at 71-68 when Nicholas Martinez dropped a jumper with just over four minutes left in the game. That would be as close as Salem would, with MCLA holding on for the 86-79 final score.
• Gittens (32 points, 15 rebounds) and Garcia (14 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles for MCLA, while Williams (13 points) and Brown (10 points) rounded out the Trailblazer quartet of double-digit scorers. Quin matched his season high of nine points, equaling his showing at Thomas College on November 16^th.
• Rho paced the Vikings with 24 points, while Nicholas Martinez added 21 points off the bench and Merryman finished the night with 15 points.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Field Goals / %: Salem 30-70 / 42.9%, MCLA 25-61 / 41%
• 3 Points / %: Salem 5-22 / 22.7%, MCLA 9-27 / 33.3%
• Free Throw / %: Salem 14-22 / 63.6%, MCLA 27-35 / 77.1%
• Rebounds: Salem 38, MCLA 43
• Points off Turnovers: Salem 13, MCLA 12
• Second Chance Points: Salem 11, MCLA 15
• Points in the Paint: Salem 40, MCLA 28
• Bench Points: Salem 28, MCLA 14

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when it plays host to Framingham State in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium for a MASCAC. Tip-off is scheduled for noon, but will be preceded by a celebration of the Trailblazers' senior class.

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