Box Score SALEM, W. Va. (Feb. 21, 2018) – On senior night, the Salem University Tigers graduating members did everything in their power to extend their final night in the T. Edward Davis Gymnasium, sending the game against the Central State University Marauders into overtime before falling short 101-99.

Starting its four senior guards—Reggie Oliver, Jordan Robinson, Ignacio Rodriguez, and Darren Montgomery—next to center Malik Toppin, Salem found a spark early, jumping out to a 17-9 lead.

The spaced floor and additional playmakers infused life into Salem's high pick-and-roll game, finding Toppin in the paint for a flurry of early dunks. The ball moved crisply and often as the Tigers assisted on 14 of their 17 field goals made in the first half, shooting 54.8 percent from the field, including 35.3 percent from the 3-point line.

But all year long, the Tigers have worked with the smallest margins of error, and despite the efficient offense, Salem made enough mistakes to give Central State a 52-48 halftime lead.

Working in a 2-3 zone, Salem managed to put Central State's offense up against the shot clock, but bailed the Marauders out with overaggressive contests, fouling jump shooters. In man-to-man defense, Salem overextended its pressure while struggling to track offensive players along the baseline, giving straight-line paths to the rim and one-pass drop offs for open layups.

Central State shot 60.6 percent (20-for-33) from the field, including 41.7 percent from deep (5-for-12); turning seven Salem turnovers into 12 points.

In the second half, Salem's defense sharpened. The Tigers continued to push Central State late into the shot clock, forcing tough shots. Sometimes, the Marauders' Charles Ruise slithered through small cracks to hit difficult floaters, scoring 11 of his 26 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the half.

Other times, the Tigers failed to closeout possessions, having sacrificed size and length for shooting, playmaking and quickness—getting outrebounded 43-24 for the game, giving up 18 second-chance points.

But the tradeoff was mostly worth it.

The extra spacing allowed guards Oliver and Montgomery to find the paint repeatedly.

Surrounded by shooters, Toppin's gravity—the ability to draw or hold defenses attention—in the paint gave Salem's guards free paths. In the first half, when Toppin's defender lost contact with him, it was a simple lob over the top on the roll. In the second half, Oliver struck at any hesitancy from the help defense.

Oliver was dynamic off the bounce, dribbling the ball as if on a string, freezing opponents with subtle feints and using in-and-out dribbles to setup screens—forcing defenders one way then beating them to the other side of a Toppin pick. When a defender went under, Oliver pulled up for the shot.
For the game, Oliver scored 35 points on 11-for-18 shooting, including 5-for-9 for threes. When the defense converged on him, he found his teammates, finishing with 10 assists. On defense, he was active in the passing lanes, pilfering five steals.

Montgomery, by contrast, worked the angles; finding creases to get to the rim, scoring 22 points (on 7-for-16 shooting), getting to the free-throw line eight times, hitting seven.

Constantly working in a crowd with the ball in his hands, Toppin did most of his damage moving into spots without it, using his screens to set the defense into motion then riding the waves into open spots for 19 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 8-for-9 from the field.

The game featured nine lead changes and 11 ties with Oliver sending the game into overtime with two free throws with 11 second remaining in regulation. Overtime was a back-and-forth affair, with a huge layup and a pair of free throws from Montgomery.

But Salem struggled on the glass, giving Central State all six rebounds, and a late turnover with an opportunity to tie the game sealed the game.

With the loss, the Tigers drop to 6-19 on the season, including 5-7 at home. Salem will closeout its season on the road against Bluefield State College on Feb. 24 at 4 p.m.