SALEM, West Virginia - With the season coming to a close in the next couple of weeks, the Salem men's basketball team was set for a battle with the Bobcats of Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo. The Tigers ended up with a tough contest on their hands, but were able to grind out a 87-69 win. 

In the first half, Salem took early control of the game early on thanks to the hot outside shooting from Stan Smith. From there, it was clear that Salem had one key advantage that would become pivotal to the rest of the game. Justin Tene and Riley Heatherington had a significant size advantage over the majority of the Bobcat lineup. They would control the scoring in the paint for the Tigers, and dominated the rebound battle. However, despite the initial advantage, the Bobcats would rally back towards the end of the period, and Salem would head into the locker room with a 47-36 lead. 

After the intermission, Salem maintained their advantage, but the Bobcats kept the game close. They brought it back to within single digits, but the Tigers went right back to their biggest advantage. Point guard Rodney Smith consistently found both Tene and Heatherington for key scoring plays around the basket. This then opened up some outside shooting opportunities for Stan Smith down the stretch, and Salem rode their offensive firepower down the stretch to a tough 87-69 win.

On the stats sheet, the Tigers were led by Stan Smith with 32 points, and Justin Tene tallied up a double double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Rodney Smith was the final Tiger in double figures with 17 points. 

This win should propel Salem into their next contest. They hit the road for the final true road game of the season as they head up to Painesville for a rematch with the Storm of Lake Erie College. That game is set Wednesday, February 22nd at 6 PM.