Box Score SALEM, W. Va. (Nov. 22, 2017) – Cold outside shooting and a rough defensive first half doomed the Salem University Tigers men's basketball team at home, losing 75-72 to the Seton Hill University Griffins.

Playing the top shot blocking team in Division II, Salem University's Malik Toppin scored 31 points on 13-for-17 shooting and pulled down eight points while teammate Reggie Oliver posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists.

Down two starting wings, however, the Tigers struggled to find other playmaking sources against Seton Hill's 2-3 zone with no other Salem player in double figures.

The Tigers shot just 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from 3-point range, with Oliver (5-for-13) and Ignacio Rodriguez (2-for-7) the only Salem University players to hit from long range. With spacing cramped, the Tigers struggled to take full advantage of Toppin, who scored on nearly every touch he received in the paint.
With the team struggling to puncture the zone via entry passes to the post or elbows in the first half, the team struggled, shooting only 37.14 percent by halftime.

Defensively, they allowed Seton Hill's guard to go middle in ball screen action, surrendering uncontested midrange jumpers off the dribble to finish the first half shooting 47.5 percent, including 3-for-7 from the 3-point line (42.86 percent) for a 38-82 lead.
Salem cleaned up its perimeter defense in the second half, forcing guard baseline to help areas while cutting off the easy 3-point looks (the Griffins were 0-for-6 from deep in the second half).

After struggling to a three-point first half, Oliver caught fire in the second, hitting 4-for-7 from deep and 6-for-10 overall, scoring 16 with six assists and two steals to keep Salem within striking distance.

Griffin's center Spencer Casson managed to keep the Tigers at bay, however, scoring all 16 of his points in the second half while also finishing with eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. Seton Hill's big man made sever key plays in the second half passing from the top of the key, finding cutters with high-low passes and clearing room with dribble handoffs in the middle of the paint.

Seton Hill also got a lot of production off its bench, outscoring its counterparts 31-6, led by Nathan Davis' team-high 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. The Griffins also held an 18-12 advantage in points of turnovers.

With the loss, the Tigers drop to 2-2 on the season while Seton Hill improves to 3-3. The Tigers will resume action on the road on Nov. 27 against California (Pa.) at 7 p.m. before returning home for a game against Chowan University on Dec. 2.