Box Score
SALEM, W. Va. (Jan. 17, 2018) – After battling back from a 14-point deficit, the Salem University Tigers were defeated in the closing seconds by four free throws from one possession, losing to the Shaw University Bears 66-62.
With the scored tied at 62-62, Salem guard
Brett Bowling grabbed an offensive rebound off a
Jarius Farrow 3-point attempt but lost the ball amidst some physical contact. On the other end of the court,
Malik Toppin was called for a foul in the final three seconds, frustrating the Tigers and drawing a technical foul and four free throws with to put the game out of reach.
The Tigers were plagued by a slow start, missing shots and turning the ball over to spot Shaw University a 20-6 lead in the first 11 minutes.
But Salem clawed its way back behind the interior work of Toppin, who scored 11 first-half points on five shots, having his way inside and bringing the Tigers back to within four (32-28) at the half. Shaw responded with a 12-5 run to start the second half, gaining enough distance to keep Salem at bay.
Brett Bowling led the Tigers with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting, hitting 4-for-9 from the 3-point line. Toppin finished with 15 points and four rebounds in limited minutes, hitting 6-for-7 from the free-throw line to go with four rebounds.
Reggie Oliver added 2 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
The Tigers continue to struggle with turnovers, committing 22, of which 11 were steals, giving Shaw University a 21-13 advantage in points off turnovers.
Salem was also outrebounded 33-26, giving Shaw a 7-2 edge in second-chance points.
Shaw was led by the inside-outside one-two punch of Savon Goodman and DaVaughn Kelsie with each scoring 17 points. Goodman controlled the paint, posting a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 5-for-12 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. Kelsie finished with 17 points, hitting five 3-pointers on 11 attempts. DeAnge Stephens-Bell had 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting and nine rebounds.
With the loss, the Tigers drop to 4-13 on the season, including 4-5 at home. Salem will return to action on Jan. 24 against Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio at 7 p.m.
