SALEM, West Virginia - Despite the tough weather restricting travel across the Mountain State, Salem Men's Basketball was able to host the Bobcats of Frostburg State for a mid-afternoon clash in T. Edward Davis Gymnasium. The game ended up being a hard fought contest the whole way, but some big offensive performances pushed the Tigers past their foes and on to a 85-70 victory.
The Tigers knew that they needed to get the offensive attack going early on in order to take control of the game. Salem executed that game plan effectively with threes from Ian Hardy and Jack Garrison IV bookending 4 straight Tigers' buckets in the paint. With control of the game, Salem set about growing that lead. The offense kicked it into high gear, and continued their offensive showcase for the rest of the half. The Tiger advantage grew to a high of 21 points at the end of the half, and the Tigers went into the break with the Bobcats on the ropes.
In the second half, the Tigers saw their biggest lead of the game of 23 points right out of the break thanks to a Jack Garrison IV layup. However, to Frostburg State's credit, they were not going to go down without a fight. The Bobcats rallied and brought the game to within 10 in the final minutes of the second half. However, Salem answered and sealed their victory with some clutch free throws down the stretch from Ashraf Tchadouwa and Kapone Barley. When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read Salem 85, Frostburg State 70.
The story of the game was truly told in the scorebook. Salem was led offensively by 21 points from Ian Hardy. Just behind him, Kapone Barley and Jack Garrison IV both had 19 points, and Garrison finished just short of a double-double with 9 rebounds. Speaking of double doubles, the final Tiger in double figures was Ashraf Tchadouwa who put up 14 points and pulled down a bruising 16 rebounds on the night.
With this win under their belt, Salem will be energized as we look ahead to their next bout. They will have their work cut out for them up in the northern panhandle of the state to take on regional power West Liberty. That contest is set for Wednesday, January 24th at 7:30 PM.
