Men's Basketball Outlasts Salem State, 89-86

SALEM, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University men's basketball team overcame a 40-point effort from senior forward Hakeem Animashaun (Dedham, Mass.) as the visiting Bears held off Salem State University, 89-86, on Tuesday night in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup at Twohig Gymnasium.

The Bears, who snapped a six-game losing streak against the Vikings, improve to 4-10 on the season and 1-1 in the MASCAC. The win marked Bridgewater State's first over the Vikings since February 8, 2017 (72-61). The Bears last win at Salem came on February 10, 2016 (77-71). The Vikings fall to 1-13 overall and 0-2 in conference play with their 12th straight setback.

All five starters scored in double figures for Bridgewater State led by senior guard Ryan Carney (Easton, Mass.) who notched 27 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Rayshon Ward (Fayetteville, N.C.) added 23 points and eight boards for the Bears, while senior forward Dimitri St. Louis (Brockton, Mass.) tallied 16 points and ten rebounds to record his sixth straight double-double and team-leading ninth of the season. St. Louis also finished with two steals and a game-best three blocked shots.

Junior guard Jonathan Mercado (Lynn, Mass.) contributed 11 points, three boards and a game-high seven assists, and sophomore guard Alan Pettway (Worcester, Mass.) checked in with ten points and a pair of steals to round out the Bears' double-digit point producers.

Animashaun connected on 16 of 25 field goals and went 8-for-12 from the free throw line. He also pulled down a game-best 15 rebounds, including ten off the offensive glass, to post his 11th double-double of the season.

Sophomore guard Chris MacDonald (Wakefield, Mass.) added 21 points for the Vikings, while freshman guard Jaden Castillo (Lawrence, Mass.) registered ten points, five rebounds and five assists, and junior guard Evan Mason (Gloucester, Mass.) grabbed 13 boards.

The Bears jumped out to a 20-10 lead before Salem answered with an 11-2 run capped off by three free throws from Castillo to make it a one-point game midway through the first half. Later in the stanza, a Carney trifecta gave the visitors a six-point advantage (38-32) with 4:14 remaining. The Vikings, however, closed out the half with a 12-2 spurt, highlighted by nine points from Animashaun, to take a 44-0 lead into the break.

Animashaun scored 23 points in the opening stanza, while MacDonald knocked down 4 of 8 three-point field goals on his way to 14 points in the period. Carney, Pettway and St. Louis paced the Bears with nine points apiece.

Salem State shot 52% (16-31) from the floor in the first half, while Bridgewater State connected on 43% (16-37) of its field goal attempts.

The game, which featured 11 ties and 12 lead changes, settled into a back-and-forth affair in the second half. Four minutes into the period, Carney took it to the rack for a layup and completed a three-point play to tie the game at 50-50. Later in the session, back-to-back three-pointers by MacDonald and sophomore guard Patrick Bulger (Marblehead, Mass.) pushed the Vikings back in front, 76-73, with eight minutes left to play. With the game winding to a close, Animashaun tied the game for the final time, 84-84, after dropping in a layup between two defenders. Ward then put the Bears up for good with a layup with 1:03 remaining. The Vikings had three chances to tie or take the lead, but missed two straight field goals (including a three-pointers) and both ends of a two-shot foul. The Bears went 3-for-4 at the line in the final ten seconds to secure the 89-86 victory.

Bridgewater State shot 44% (33-75) from the floor for the game, while Salem State connected on 46% (33-72) of its field goal attempts. The Bears went 8-for-26 (31%) from behind the arc and 15-for-17 (88%) at the charity stripe. The Vikings knocked down 6 of 16 (38%) three-point field goals and finished 14-for-20 (60%) at the line. Bridgewater State turned the ball over only seven times, while both benches accounted for just seven points combined.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams. The Vikings travel to MCLA on Thursday night for a 7:30 game with the Trailblazers, while the Bears host the Owls of Westfield State University on Saturday afternoon at three.

Notes: Carney (1,314 pts.) moved into 13th place on the Bears' all-time scoring list, while Ward (1,207 pts.) moved into 18th place.