SALEM, West Virginia - Fresh of a mid-week win, the Salem men's basketball team was looking to add to that win total again on Saturday afternoon as they faced off with the Senators of Davis & Elkins College. The Tiger hung tough with the Senators the whole way, but ultimately fell by a score of 74-61. 

In the first half, it became evident early on that both teams were going to play a tough, closely contested game. Salem took a while to heat up and fell behind early. Yet, the Tigers kept the game close as they found some big scoring punch from the outside. Jack Garrison IV and Ian Hardy found the majority of those opportunities in the first half. Once leveling the game at 17-17, both teams traded runs down to the end of the half with neither team truly taking control of the contest. This was further evidenced by a deadlocked score of 36-36 when the teams headed in for the halftime break. 

In the second half, Salem got right back to it. Kapone Barley and Brandon Francois kept the Tigers in it by creating more scoring chances. However, the Senators were able to find a new offensive gear, and built up a 10 point lead halfway through the period. Salem had their work cut out for them from there, but attempted to mount a furious comeback. They would bring the game within single digits with about 6 minutes to go, but ultimately fell to the Senators 74-61. 

While Salem certainly would have preferred the win today, there are still some bright spots in the scorebook. Kapone Barley led the way for Salem with 18 points and 9 rebounds. He was followed by Jack Garrison IV with 13 points, Brandon Francois with 11 points, and Ian Hardy with 10 points. Ashraf Tchadouwa controlled the paint again for Salem with a staggering 15 rebounds alongside 7 points.

Salem leaves the state of West Virginia for the first time this season in their next contest. They will match up with the Golden Knights of Gannon on Wednesday, December 15th at 5:30 PM in Erie, Pennsylvania.