Salem State Holds off Men’s Basketball 84-76

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Men's Basketball team returned to the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium this afternoon for a MASCAC matchup with the Salem State Vikings. With their three leading scorers not dressed, the Trailblazers' bench stepped up, providing 15 points from Jake Bluestein and 14 points from Craig Williams, but fell to a hot-shooting Salem State team, 84-76.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024
• Score: Salem 84, MCLA 76
• Records: Salem State Vikings 8-6 (MASCAC 2-1) | MCLA Trailblazers 7-8 (MASCAC 2-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with the teams trading three-pointers and the lead for most of the first sixteen minutes of play. It was a duel of long-range shots between Salem State's Jaden Castillo and MCLA's Jake Bluestein. Castillo finished the first half making three of his five three-point attempts, while Bluestein connected on three of his four attempts. The Vikings took a 38-32 edge into the halftime locker room.
• Salem State started to pull away early in the second half, building to as many as a 12-point lead as the clock clicked under 15 minutes remaining, but MCLA methodically began to mount a comeback. A pair of made free throws by Craig Williams with 3:22 to go cut the Viking lead to three points, but it would be as close as the Trailblazers would get.
• Four Salem State players would finish with double-digit point totals, led by Michael Makiej with 31 points. Castillo (23 points), Liam Byrne (12 points), and LJ Hicks (10 points) rounded out the Viking quartet.
• MCLA had a 35-1 edge in points off the bench, led by a team-high 15 points from Bluestein and 14 points from Williams. Jaxen Potter added 13 points to lead the Trailblazers starters.
• Jayden Mills just missed a double-double for MCLA, finishing with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Mills also finished with a game-high six assists.
• The Trailblazers finished the game with 14 made three-point baskets, trailing only their 18 made effort against New England College on December 5^th for most this season. It was also the second time they have made double-digit threes in their last three games.
• MCLA connected on 12 of their 14 free throws (85.7%) for their second-highest free throw percentage of the season, behind only their 10 for 11 (90.9%) game at Norwich University on November 14^th.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Field Goals / %: Salem State 33-62 / 53.2%, MCLA 25-63 / 39.7%
• 3 Points / %: Salem State 7-15 / 46.7%, MCLA 14-41 / 34.1%
• Free Throw / %: Salem State 11-21 / 52.4%, MCLA 12-14 / 85.7 %
• Rebounds: Salem State 35, MCLA 38
• Points off Turnovers: Salem State 23, MCLA 6
• Second Chance Points: Salem State 7, MCLA 16
• Points in the Paint: Salem State 50, MCLA 18
• Bench Points: Salem State 1, MCLA 35

UP NEXT:

On Wednesday, MCLA will be back in action when they play host to Framingham State for a MASCAC matchup with the Rams at the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium. The teams will take the floor for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

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