MCLA wins seventh straight, downs Salem 76-67
The MCLA men's basketball team won their seventh straight game, defeating visiting Salem State 76-67 this evening at the Amsler Campus Center. Trailblazer forward Jon Greenberg collected 15 points and 23 rebounds in the win. MCLA is now 2-0 in league play, 11-3 overall.
North Adams, MA- MCLA placed five players in double figures, including a 15 point, 23 rebound performance from Jon Greenberg, en route to a 76-67 MASCAC victory over visiting Salem State University. The win, the Trailblazers seventh in a row, moves them to 11-3 (2-0 MASCAC) while Salem falls to 4-6 overall (0-1 MASCAC).
Salem jumped out early holding an eight point lead just four minutes into the game after Brian Clark knocked down a three making the score 10-2. After Jamal McCollum knocked down two from the charity stripe, Salem led 16-6 with 12:03 remaining in the opening half. After MCLA trimmed the margin to just six at 21-15, the Trailblazers took off on an 11-0 run to take largest first half lead at 26-21.
MCLA broke open a close game (36-33 at the half) by scoring the first nine points out of the locker room to take a 45-33 lead at the 16:08 mark. The Trailblazers would extend to their largest lead of the night at 51-37 when Bilal Shabazz converted a layup with just over 14 minutes to play.
Salem would not go quietly though, using a 9-0 spurt, fueled by a layup and a three pointer from Brennan Bennett off the bench to pull within five at 51-46. The Vikings would continue to push the pace and after Tavone Wynder knocked down a jumper with 9:29 left, Salem was only down 54-51.
After trading baskets on the next two possessions, MCLA would go on the deciding run. A pair of free throws from Greenberg and a transition layup by Jamal Brown pushed the lead back to eight at 61-53. Salem could get no closer than six the rest of the way.
MCLA's Greenberg actually struggled from the floor shooting just 3 for 11, but he grabbed 8 offensive rebounds and went 9 of 10 from the line to get his totals. Brenden Kordana chipped in with 15 points, including a three key triples, while Chris Harris added 12 points and a season high 6 assists.
The Trailblazers received key contributions off the bench as Jamal Brown scored 13 points and hauled in 9 boards, while Tyriq Rochester had the best night of his young career as the freshmen tallied 10 points and five rebounds. MCLA outrebounded Salem 53-41.
Salem was led by Clark, who finished with a game high 20 points and a team high 10 rebounds. Justin Nieves added 14 points for the Vikings.
MCLA is off until Tuesday night when they travel to Westfield, while Salem will entertain the Owls on Saturday.