Men's Basketball Stuns MASCAC Rival Salem State, 77-71

SALEM, Mass. – Junior guard Fawaz Mass (Taunton, Mass.) scored 18 points, including a key three-pointer late in the contest, as the visiting Bridgewater State University men's basketball team stunned Salem State University, 77-71, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference match-up on Wednesday night at Twohig Gymnasium.

The Bears move to 9-12 with the victory and 5-4 in the MASCAC. With the loss, the first-place Vikings fall to 14-9 overall and 8-2 in conference play.

Mass, who went 6-for-11 from the floor and 2-for-3 from behind the arc, also added a game-high six assists as well as four rebounds and a steals.

Sophomore forward Joseph Carty (Natick, Mass.) chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore guard Rocky DeAndrade (Mansfield, Mass.) and junior forward Greg Romanko (Mansfield, Mass.) tallied 14 points apiece. DeAndrade connected on 3 of 4 three-point field goals and dished out four assists. Romanko went 4-for-6 from long range and blocked three shots.

Junior forward Marcus Faison (Cambridge, Mass.) led all scorers with 27 points. Faison finished with a double-double as he also grabbed ten rebounds. Sophomores Drew Healy (Lowell, Mass.), Jacob Lindland (Hamilton, Mass.), and Shaquan Murray (Boston, Mass.) added 11 points apiece for the Vikings. Healy also posted a double-double as he pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds including five offensive boards.

Bridgewater rallied from a 12-point, first half deficit thanks in part to five three-point plays over the final nine minutes. DeAndrade closed out the scoring in the opening stanza with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to pull the Bears to within 38-35 as the teams headed to the break.

Trailing 43-42 with 15:37 remaining in the second half, the Bears outscored the Vikings 19-8 over the next eight minutes to take a 61-51 lead. Romanko accounted for 12 of the Bears' 19 points during the run as he connected on four three-pointers.

The Vikings, however, battled their way back and cut the deficit to 67-64 on a Healy layup at the 2:56 mark. Following a stop, Lindland knocked down a deep three to knot the score at 67-67. Mass, however, silenced the crowd by making a desperation three-pointer as the shot clock expired to put the Bears up to stay, 70-67.

Another Healy layup brought the Vikings to within one, but that would be erased by a Carty jumper as Bridgewater State maintained the three-point advantage (72-69) with 56 seconds left to play.

Murray knocked down a pair of free throws at the other end of the floor to make it a one-point game, 72-71. DeAndrade, however, answered for the Bears as he banked in a runner with just 23 seconds showing on the scoreboard.

On the ensuing possession, the BSU defense pressured the Vikings into a missed two-point attempt. The Bears would convert 3 of 4 free throws in the final six seconds to secure the 77-71 victory.

Bridgewater shot 47% (24-51) for the game including 11 for 20 (55%) from behind the arc. The 11 three-point field goals marked a season-high.

Salem shot 41% (28-68) from the floor and held a 42-32 rebounding advantage (18-7 offensive). The Vikings outscored the Bears 40-16 in the paint and finished with an 18-9 edge in second chance points.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Saturday afternoon at three. The Bears entertain the Lancers of Worcester State University, while the Vikings travel to Westfield State University to take on the Owls.