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2005 SEA GULL MEN'S BASKETBALL RELEASES
 
 
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Sea Gulls Fall to Cardinals of Catholic, 79-70, in CAC Championship Game
February 25, 2006

SALISBURY-CATHOLIC BOXSCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (15-13), after knocking off fourth-seeded Gallaudet and stunning top seed York, succumbed to defeat Saturday afternoon at the hands of the Cardinals of Catholic University, 79-70. 

In the first half, Salisbury kept it close with Catholic, as they kept the Cardinals from running away with it early. After falling behind 11-3 in the first four minutes, Ray Williams ignited a 12-4 run over the next seven minutes to tie the score at 15. At the 3:05 mark, Salisbury took a three-point, 24-21 lead on a Williams three-pointer. Catholic would close the first half with a 10-2 run led by Patrick Dwyer and Pat Satalin to take a 31-26 lead into halftime. 

In the second half, the Cardinals gained momentum and outscored the Sea Gulls 48-44 to capture the CAC crown. Catholic would stretch the lead to as high as 14 with 3:20 left in regulation, 68-54. Salisbury would outscore Catholic, 16-11, over the final three minutes, but it was not enough. 

Williams scored 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting with four rebounds and three assists. Segun Odumeru contributed 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting with three steals. Justin Rice led Salisbury in bench-scoring with six points on 1-of-4 shooting. 

The Cardinals had three players reach double figures, with Satalin leading the team with 25 points on 5-of-14 shooting and also hit 11-of-12 free throws, pulled down six rebounds, and recorded three assists. Dwyer scored 24 points on 6-of-14 shooting and led the team with 16 rebounds. Scott Fumai scored 10 points, hitting 7-of-8 free throws. 

For the game, Salisbury shot 50.0% (26-of-52) for the game, besting Catholic’s 31.5% (17-of-54) from the floor. Catholic won the rebounding advantage, 44-31, while Salisbury was hurt by 17 Catholic points off of 10 turnovers. 

The Sea Gulls will now await Selection Sunday tomorrow to await their fate in regards to the NCAA Division III tournament. With the win, Catholic is assured a position in the tournament as an automatic bid for winning the Catholic Athletic Conference crown.

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No. 5 Seeded Salisbury Men Shocks No. 1 Seeded York, 66-64
February 23, 2006

SALISBURY-YORK BOXSCORE
YORK, Pa. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (15-12), seeded fifth in the CAC Tournament, upset the No. 1 seeded and No. 4-nationally ranked Spartans of York College on Thursday night, 66-64, in the semi-finals of the tournament. The loss for the Spartans (24-3) is only their third of the season and the first in twelve games. Salisbury also broke York’s 31-game home winning streak.

Early in the first half, the Spartans overwhelmed the Sea Gulls as they pulled out to a 11-point, 19-8 lead with 11:56 remaining. Later, the lead was stretched to a 14-point, 28-14 advantage for York until Salisbury began their comeback. Junior forward Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) sparked a 14-2 Salisbury run in the final 6:39 of the half by scoring seven points. At the half, York would cling to a 30-28 lead. Salisbury’s comeback was sparked by 10 points off of seven York turnovers. 

In the second half, York would regain form, pushing the lead to eight, 42-34, with 14:27 remaining in the game. Salisbury stayed within reach and was able to take their first lead of the game, 59-58, on a jump-shot by senior Justin Rice (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) with 3:35 remaining. Over the final three frantic minutes, Salisbury would escape with the stunning two point victory by outscoring York, 7-6. 

Odumeru led Salisbury in scoring with 23 points on 7-of-20 shooting while hitting 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Ft. Meade) added 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting while recording four assists and pulling down four rebounds. Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) and Derrick Washington (Montgomery Village, MD/Watkins Mill) each led Salisbury in rebounding with five. Ozi Menakaya (Glen Burnie, MD/Capital Christian) led the bench-scoring with eight points with three rebounds in 10 minutes of play. 

The Spartan attack featured four scorers in double figures. Brian Singer (York, PA/Eastern York) led the team with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Brandon Bushey (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and added four assists. Kenny Fass (Dallastown, PA/Dallastown) and Chad McGowan added 11 points a piece, while Fass led the team in rebounds with six. 

As a team, Salisbury shot 41.4% (24-of-58) from the floor, compared to York’s 53.2% (25-of-47). Salisbury won the rebounding advantage, 34-29. 

Salisbury will take on No. 2 seeded Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in the CAC Men’s Basketball Championships on Saturday at 2 p.m. Salisbury went 1-1 against the Cardinals this season. In late January, Salisbury edged the Cardinals, 53-51 in Washington, D.C. Last Wednesday, Salisbury dropped their final regular season home game to Catholic, 81-69.

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Salisbury Men Survive First Round, Slip Past Gallaudet, 56-55
February 21, 2006

SALISBURY-GALLAUDET BOXSCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In the first round of the CAC Tournament on Tuesday evening, the Salisbury men’s basketball team avenged an earlier 71-50 loss to Gallaudet by eliminating the Bison in close fashion, 56-55. Two Sea Gulls, Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Ft. Meade) and Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) both scored in double figures to lead Salisbury to victory. The team advances to play No. 1-seeded York College in the semifinals set for Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. at York. 

The game was close throughout the contest, as the Sea Gulls stayed close enough to eventually take the lead late for the one-point victory.  Gallaudet controlled the tempo early, as they led by as many as nine points, 20-11, with 9:28 remaining in the first half. 

Salisbury would cut the lead to three by halftime and would hold brief leads early in the second half. Gallaudet would then stretch the lead to as much as six, 47-41, with 7:57 left in the game. Odumeru and Williams, however would score 12 of Salisbury’s final 15 points to lead Salisbury’s remarkable comeback to stay alive in the tournament. 

Odumeru led the Sea Gulls in scoring with 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting and tied teammate Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) in rebounds with six to lead the team. Odumeru also recorded tow blocks and six steals on the evening. Williams contributed 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting in the Salisbury win. 

Gallaudet’s Robert Haney Jr. (Ft. Wayne, IN/Indiana) recorded a double-double as he led all scorers with 37 points on 13-of-23 shooting and pulled down 12 rebounds and recorded four blocks in the defeat. 

As a team, Salisbury shot 32.8% (20-of-61) from the field, compared to Gallaudet’s 38.5% (20-of-52). Gallaudet held the rebounding advantage, 41-32, but was hurt by 19 turnovers, to which Salisbury used to their advantage, scoring 17 points off of Gallaudet turnovers.

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Sea Gulls Drop Regular Season Finale to St. Mary's, 75-72
February 18, 2006

SALISBURY-ST. MARY'S BOXSCORE
ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (13-12, 7-7 CAC) closed the regular season with a 75-72 defeat at the hands of the Seahawks of St. Mary’s College (9-15, 4-10 CAC). The Sea Gulls have dropped their last two games and have fallen to 7-7 in the conference. 

The Seahawks held the lead for the entire game and led by as much as twelve late in the first half. St. Mary’s did hold off Salisbury in the second half, as the Sea Gulls stormed to within three points with 27 seconds remaining on the strength of a 12-5 run. The late charge by Salisbury, however, was not enough to secure the victory. 

Junior guards Ray Williams and Segun Odumeru led the Sea Gulls in scoring. Williams scored 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Odumeru added 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting and was a perfect 8-of-8 at the charity stripe. Odumeru added eight rebounds to lead the team. Senior guard Justin Rice scored 14 points off the bench on 4-of-8 shooting. 

St. Mary’s Tyson Lesesne led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting and added four rebounds and four assists. Valdez Preston added 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, followed by Calvin Wise with 12 points (4-of-7 shooting) and Dan Engelstad with 10 points (3-of-5 shooting). Wise led St. Mary’s with eight rebounds, while Preston added seven. 

For the game, Salisbury shot 42.6% (23-of-54) from the floor, while St. Mary’s shot 48.1% (26-of-54) from the floor. Salisbury held a slight edge in rebounds, 34 to 32. 

The Sea Gulls will enter the CAC Tournament on the road, as they clinched the fifth seed in the tournament. The team’s conference record of 7-7 tied Gallaudet, but the Bison clinch the fourth seed because they defeated Salisbury earlier in the season. The tournament opens up Tuesday with first-round action.

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Salisbury Men Drop Final Home Game to Catholic, 81-69
February 15, 2006

SALISBURY-CATHOLIC BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (13-11, 7-6 CAC) dropped their final home game of the 2005-2006 regular season on Wednesday evening to the Cardinals of Catholic University (17-6, 9-4 CAC), 81-69. Junior guard Ray Williams led the scoring for the Sea Gulls with 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting.

 

In the first half, the Cardinals overwhelmed the Sea Gulls early and often, leading to a 15-point, 27-12 Catholic lead at the 12:31 mark. The Sea Gulls managed to get back into the game, however, outscoring the Cardinals 30-17 overall the final 12 minutes of the half.

 

In the second half, the Cardinals benefited from Salisbury’s foul trouble, as they were able to build their lead at the free throw line, making 10 of 12 shots in the final seven minutes to seal the 12-point victory for the Cardinals.

 

Aside from Williams, the Sea Gulls received a double-digit effort from junior Segun Odumeru, who scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting while adding four rebounds and four assists. Ozi Menakaya added eight rebounds off the bench to lead the Sea Gulls.

 

The Cardinals received double-digit efforts from five of their players, led by Pat Satalin and Patrick Dwyer who each had 15 points, with Dwyer adding nine rebounds. Shane Sowden added 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting and nine board, while Scott Fumai and Sean Stolzenthaler added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

 

For the game, Salisbury shot 48.4% (31-of-64) from the field, while Catholic shot 47.1% (24-of-51) from the field. Catholic held the rebounding advantage, 35 to 24.

 

Prior to the game, the team honored their graduating seniors and allowed Dameon Gibbs, Kyle Harmon, Aaron Meekins, Justice Rice, and Derrick Washington the chance to take the court at the start of the game together for the final time.

 

Salisbury will close out the regular season on the road as they travel to St. Mary’s City, Maryland to take on the Seahawks at 4:00 p.m.

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SU Men Outlast Eagles in Double Overtime, 95-88
February 11, 2006

SALISBURY-MARY WASHINGTON BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, MD - The Salisbury men’s basketball team defeated the University of Mary Washington Saturday night, 95-88, in double overtime.  Rico Stewart hit a lay-up with 2 seconds left at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime and Segun Odumeru banked in a three-pointer with six-seconds left in the first overtime to put the game into a second overtime. 

Odumeru led all scorers with a 32 point performance, shooting 12-21 from the floor. Stewart added a double-double for the Gulls recording 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Jon Pierce tallied his own double-double for the visiting Eagles with 25 points and 10 boards. 

The Sea Gulls came out of the gate firing, opening up as large as a 14 point lead halfway through the first half at 22-8, but they cooled off through the second 10-minutes, scoring only 12 more points on way to a 34-26 lead at the break. The second half opened with UMW firing on all cylinders, with a Mike Lee (25 points, 5 assists) three-pointer and consecutive lay-ups by Pierce to pull within one of the Gulls. 

The Eagles took their first lead of the game with just under seven-minutes to play in the second half and opened up as much as a six-point lead on SU. With Salisbury down three and three-seconds left on the clock, Ray Williams (12 points, 5 rebounds) went to the charity stripe to shoot two. After making the first, he purposely missed the second to give SU a chance at the tie. Ozi Menakaya (8 points, 7 rebounds) grabbed the rebound, missed his shot, but Stewart was there for the put-back to send the game into an extra session. 

In overtime, Odumeru hit a fall away, three-point bucket with six seconds to go in the game to put the game into another overtime. The second OT was dominated by the Gulls who never looked back after Odumeru hit a three-pointer to open up the scoring.  Salisbury ran away in double OT on way to their seven-point victory. 

As a team, Salisbury shot for over 50% from the field and out rebounded UMW 51-43. With the win, Salisbury improves to 13-10 (7-5 CAC) and the Eagles dropped to 13-9 (8-4 CAC). Salisbury will next play host to the Catholic University of America on Wednesday, February 15th in their final home game of the regular season.

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Salisbury Men Edged by Marymount University, 68-63
February 8, 2006

SALISBURY-MARYMOUNT BOXSCORE
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (12-10, 6-5 CAC), coming off an exciting 83-80 double overtime victory Saturday, were set back Wednesday by Marymount University (10-11, 4-7 CAC), 68-63. In the loss, Ray Williams lead Salisbury and all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-13 shooting while adding eight rebounds. 

In the first half, the game was tightly contested, as both teams traded the lead five times. Salisbury led by as much as seven, while Marymount held the lead by as much as four. At halftime, Salisbury held a slim, four-point, 33-29 lead. Salisbury took advantage six Marymount turnovers in the period for seven points. 

In the second half, Marymount began to apply pressure to Salisbury’s defense. The Saints applied pressure inside, scoring 20 points in the paint and scored 17 points off of eleven Salisbury turnovers. Marymount would use this advantage to build the winning five-point edge. 

Aside from Williams, Salisbury was led by Segun Odumeru, who scored 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while added two assists and a block. Kyle Harmon and Justin Rice scored eight points each to add to the offense. Ozi Menakaya and Rico Stewart led the Sea Gulls in rebounding with seven boards apiece. 

Marymount used a balance attack against Salisbury, as they had four players reach double figures in scoring. Mike Gray led the team with 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while Charles Atakora and Kyle O’Connor had 11 points each and Brandon Parker added 10 points. Atakora also led the team in rebounds with nine, while Gray and Rodney Puente had seven each. 

Marymount shot 43.3% (26-of-60) from the field to better Salisbury’s 36.4% (20-of-55) from the field. The Saints were also 8-of-11 from beyond the three-point arc, while Salisbury was 6-of-21 from three-point range. Marymount also held the slim rebounding edge, 38 to 34. 

Salisbury will look to return to the win column Saturday as they host the University of Mary Washington in the annual Alumni Game. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Maggs Gym.

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SU Men Escapes Goucher In Double Overtime, 83-80
February 4, 2006

SALISBURY-GOUCHER BOXSCORE
TOWSON, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (12-9, 6-4 CAC), looking for their first victory since defeating Catholic two games ago, squeaked out a win, 83-80, over Goucher College (1-18, 1-9 CAC) in double overtime. Junior forward Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) (pictured) surpassed 1,000 career points in the game, scoring 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He now sits 25th on Salisbury’s all-time scoring list with 1,005 points. Odumeru also added nine rebounds in the victory. 

In the first half, the score remained close as the teams traded the lead six times. Neither team held more than a five-point lead. Goucher would take a lead into the halftime break, 30-28. Odumeru scored seven of his 22 in the first half, while Goucher’s Tim Merritt (Pasadena, MD/Chesapeake) led the Gophers with 11 points. 

In the second half, Goucher would dominate late, pulling away with a seven-point, 52-45 lead with 6:07 left in regulation. Salisbury’s Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Ft. Meade) and Rico Stewart (Arlington, VA/Washington & Lee) led the Sea Gulls to tie the game at 61 to send the game into overtime. 

In the first overtime period, the Goucher tied the score four times and force a second overtime with the score tied at 72. Odumeru dominated the second overtime, scoring nine points, including a free throw shot with 15 seconds remaining to clinch the three-point victory for Salisbury. 

Other top scorers for Salisbury included Williams, who scored 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting; and Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside), who scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Ozi Menakaya (Glen Burnie, MD/Capital Christian) led the Sea Gulls in rebounding with 10 boards. Darren Johnson (Montgomery Village, MD/Gaithersburg) added nine, while Williams added seven. 

The Goucher attack was led by senior Jonathan Garritt (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park) and junior James Russo (Cockeysville, MD/Dulaney). Garritt scored 27 points on 7-of-25 shooting and eight rebounds. Russo also scored 27 points on 9-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-11 from beyond the three-point arc. 

Salisbury shot 45.8% (33-of-72) from the field, bettering Goucher’s 37.9% (25-of-66) shooting. Salisbury also dominated inside, leading the rebounds, 52 to 33. 

The Salisbury men will return to action Wednesday night as they travel to Arlington, Virginia to take on Marymount University in CAC conference action. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. The Sea Gulls will return home next Saturday, February 11, to host the University of Mary Washington in the annual Alumni Game at 7:30 p.m.

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Bison Get Second Chance, Down Sea Gulls, 71-50
February 1, 2006

SALISBURY-GALLAUDET BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - The Gallaudet University men’s basketball team only outrebounded Salisbury 15-12 on the offensive end Wednesday night, but the Bison outscored the Gulls 16-8 on second-chance points as GU sent Salisbury University to its third loss in four games with a 71-50 verdict at the Maggs Center.

The Bison (12-8, 5-4 CAC) forced the ball inside, outscoring the Gulls 16-6 in the paint as Salisbury dropped to 11-9 on the year, 5-4 in the Capital Athletic Conference.

Segun Odumeru led Salisbury with 15 points and four boards, while Ray Williams added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Gary Ward scored nine points off the bench, to go along with four rebounds, and Kyle Harmon, Justin Rice and Jonas Vaitkus each tallied four points.

The Sea Gulls, who only trailed 32-27 at the half, connected on only 27.6% (8-of-29) of their field goals in the second half while the Bison hit 12-of-27 (44.4%). For the contest, Salisbury was 20-of-59 (33.9%) from the field, while Gallaudet made 24-of-55 (43.6%).

Robert Haney, Jr. paced Gallaudet with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. He also pulled down eight boards. Jon Mowl added 17 points and five rebounds and Frank Jackson hit 6-of-12 field goals, adding 13 points and eight boards. Luther Weedon scored nine points off the bench.

The score was close throughout the first half. Salisbury held leads of six points on two occasions, but the score was tied four times and there were seven lead changes in the opening 20 minutes. Gallaudet’s largest lead was its five-point halftime advantage.

The score remained close for the first five minutes of the second half, before Gallaudet surged ahead with a 10-0 run over a span of 3:13 to take a 47-37 lead with 11:35 left. Salisbury cut the advantage to five, 47-42, on a three-pointer by Ward and a bucket by Rico Stewart, but the lead ballooned back to 14, 56-42, with 8:11 remaining in the contest and the Gulls never threatened after that.

Salisbury will go on the road Saturday to visit Goucher College (7:30 p.m.) before visiting Marymount University next Wednesday.

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No. 9-ranked York Skewers Salisbury, 96-62
January 28, 2006

SALISBURY-YORK BOXSCORE
YORK, Pa. - Entering today’s contest, the Salisbury men’s basketball team (11-8, 5-3 CAC) held a share of first place in the CAC standings with Mary Washington and their opponent Saturday, the No. 9-ranked Spartans of York College (16-2, 6-2 CAC). In their last meeting at Maggs Gym in early December, the Sea Gulls shocked the Spartans with a 69-67 victory. After 40 minutes of basketball Saturday, the Sea Gulls’ earlier victory was a distant memory, as York routed Salisbury, 96-62, to knock Salisbury from the first-place conference tie. 

In the first half, the Spartans held the advantage from the opening tip-off, using strong play in the paint and off the bench to lead to an eighteen point lead. York’s Brian Singer had a strong first-half, scoring 13 points on 3-of-9 shooting and five rebounds. 

In the second half, Salisbury was unable to mount any momentum. York continued to build an insurmountable lead using strong bench play once again. Turnovers hurt the Sea Gulls tremendously, as they gave away possession 18 times, leading to 31 points off turnovers for York. 

Ray Williams led the Sea Gulls in scoring with 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Derrick Washington added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and four assists, while Rico Stewart had 10 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting and eight rebounds. 

The Sea Gulls were able to keep Singer scoreless in the second half, but three other Spartans finished in double figures. Brandon Bushey led York with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting and added five assists. With his performance, Bushey moved to fifth on York’s all-time scoring list with 1,562 career points. Kenny Fass scored 13 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting, while Chad McGowan scored 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Singer added six rebounds in the second half to bring his totals for the day to 11 to lead York. 

Salisbury shot 29.3% (17-of-58) from the field, compared to York’s 52.9% (37-of-70) from the field. York also held the advantage in rebounds, 48 to 31. 

The Sea Gull men will look to bounce back Wednesday, as they return home to host Gallaudet University for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

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Sea Gulls Keep Hold of First Place in CAC, 53-51
January 25, 2006

SALISBURY-CATHOLIC BOXSCORE
WASHINGTON, DC - Segun Odumeru scored 17 points and pulled down four rebounds in 36 minutes Wednesday night as the Salisbury University men’s basketball team kept a share of the Capital Athletic Conference lead with a 53-51 victory over Catholic University of America at the DeFour Center.

Both Salisbury (11-7, 5-2 CAC) and Catholic (12-5, 4-3, CAC) began the day tied with the University of Mary Washington (10-7, 5-2 CAC) and York College (15-2, 5-2 CAC) in the league’s top spot. Mary Washington knocked off Marymount, 85-79, Wednesday, while York defeated Gallaudet, 73-60, leaving three teams tied atop the standings.

Odumeru was the only Salisbury player to score in double figures as the Sea Gulls connected on only 33.3% (7-of-21) of their shots from the field in the second half and 37.3% (19-of-51) for the game. SU converted just 2-of-11 (18.2%) from behind the three-point arc. Justin Rice added nine points, Ozi Menakaya dropped in eight points and added eight boards and Ray Williams was held to six points.

The Cardinals, who won the rebounding battle 41-39, but were held to just 33.9% (19-of-56) shooting from the field. Patrick Dwyer led CUA with 10 points and nine rebounds, Pat Satalin finished with nine points and Scott Fumai chipped in eight points.

Salisbury scored 21 points off 14 Catholic turnovers, while the Cardinals scored only nine points off 12 SU miscues. The Sea Gulls’ bench also helped the cause, pitching in 23 points as Salisbury captured its third straight CAC contest.

Neither team was able to take control of this game as Salisbury’s largest lead was six, while Catholic’s biggest advantage was seven points. The Cardinals led for the first seven minutes of the opening period, but Odumeru’s three-pointer gave SU the lead for good with 12:08 on the clock. The Gulls led 28-26 at intermission.

The teams traded leads in the second half and it was free throws by Williams, Menakaya and Derek Washington in the final two minutes allowed the Sea Gulls to secure the win.

Salisbury will play another key CAC contest Saturday when the Sea Gulls travel to York for a 4 p.m. contest.

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Hood College Cools Salisbury University, 77-65
January 23, 2006

SALISBURY-HOOD BOXSCORE
FREDERICK, Md. - The Salisbury University men’s basketball team struggled from the field, connecting on only 35.6% (21-of-59) - including 2-of-15 (13.3%) from behind the three-point arc - as the Sea Gulls (10-7) lost for only the second time in six outing with a 77-65 setback to Hood College at Thomas Johnson High School Monday night.

Hood College (9-10) hit 45.6% (26-of-57) from the field and 40.9% (9-of-22) from behind the three-point arc to secure the non-conference victory.

Kyle Harmon paced Salisbury with 13 points, converting 4-of-6 field goals and 5-of-8 from the charity stripe. Ray Williams was the only other SU player in double figures with 12 points, while handing out four assists. Segun Odumeru and Gary Ward each tallied eight points. The Gulls, who were outrebounded 44-34, were led in the category by Justin Rice with seven, and Ozi Menakaya with six.

The Salisbury bench kept the Sea Gulls close by outscoring the Hood reserves 25-15.

Santo Provenzano led all scorers with 26 points for Hood. He hit 10-of-18 field goals, while pulling down nine rebounds and handing out four assists. Jesse Gutekunst added 14 points and hauled in 11 boards for the Blazers, and Tim Abercrombie finished with 13 points.

The contest was close throughout with Salisbury opening its biggest lead of five (9-4) with 14:49 left in the opening half. Hood then went on a 13-2 run over the next 5:36 to take a 17-11 lead with 9:13 left in the period. That was as large as the lead grew in the half as the Blazers clung to a 31-28 lead at intermission.

The Blazers came out fast in the third quarter, going on a 14-2 spurt and to lead by 15-points twice in the first five minutes of the final period. Hood took its biggest lead of 17, 52-35, with 14:17 remaining in the contest.

Salisbury made a run midway through the period when Ward hit a jumper and a three-point shot, and Menakaya completed a three-point play to pull SU within 56-48 with 10:12 remaining. But that was as close as the Gulls would come.

The Sea Gulls, who are currently in a four-team deadlock for first place in the Capital Athletic Conference race along with Catholic University (12-4), University of Mary Washington (9-7) and York College (14-2) with identical 4-2 records, will visit Catholic Wednesday night at 8 p.m. before traveling to York College on Saturday (2 p.m.) for another key matchup.

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Gulls Continue Hot Run with Buzzer-beater over SMC, 76-74
January 21, 2006

SALISBURY-ST. MARY'S BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - Salisbury University junior guard Ray Williams (pictured) wasn’t happy when SU head coach Steve Holmes took a time out as the Sea Gulls rushed the ball up the court with 6.2 seconds remaining Saturday afternoon in the Maggs Center with the score tied at 74-74. But he still got a chance to put the game on ice as he drained a 12-footer at the buzzer as the Gulls came from behind to knock off Capital Athletic Conference opponent St. Mary’s College, 76-74.

Salisbury, which has won four of its last five contests, including 3-of-4 CAC games, improved to 10-6 on the year, 4-2 in league action. The win also kept the Sea Gulls perfect at home for the season (7-0) and kept SU within one-half game of first-place Catholic University (12-3, 4-1 CAC). The Cardinals were at Gallaudet Saturday. SU is tied with Mary Washington and York College (Pa.) at 4-2 in the CAC. St. Mary’s fell to 7-9, 2-4 in conference with the loss.

Segun Odumeru led Salisbury in scoring with 23 points, hitting 5-of-7 from behind the three-point arc. He also added five boards. Williams pumped in 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. He also assists. Kyle Harmon chipped in 10 points and pulled down five boards.

St. Mary’s forward Tyson Lesesne led all scorers with 30 points, hitting 12-of-22 from the field. He also added seven boards, three steals and three assists. Calvin Wise dumped in 13 points and tallied seven rebounds and Valdez Preston dropped in 11 points and had six boards.

Despite hitting just 38.7% (12-of-31) from the field in the first half, Salisbury took a 34-30 lead at intermission. The Sea Gulls fell behind by as many as five, 19-14, in the opening period, but kept the game close by holding a 21-17 advantage in the rebounding department. The lead changed hands 11 times in the opening 20 minutes, with the Gulls’ biggest advantage coming just before intermission when Williams hit a pair of free throws.

The Seahawks battled back to take the lead three times in the second half, including a five-point lead (73-68) with 2:03 remaining. Salisbury’s Rico Stewart (2 pts, 6 rb) then hit a pair of free throws and Harmon hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe after Lesesne hit a charity shot.

Trailing by three points, Williams sank a three-point from the top of the circle with 39 seconds remaining when he took a pass from Odumeru. The teams traded possessions before the Gulls set up the winning play on a timeout. Williams took the inbounds pass and used a pick by Harmon to drive around the ride side and hit the runner with two defenders in his face.

Salisbury will go on the road three times this week. The Gulls will visit Hood College Monday (7 p.m.) in a non-conference matchup, before traveling to Catholic University (8 p.m.) on Wednesday and York College (2 p.m.) on Saturday.

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Sea Gulls Return Home, Down Marymount, 71-63
January 18, 2006

SALISBURY-MARYMOUNT BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team, returning home Wednesday night looking for a victory, defeated the Saints of Marymount University, 71-63, at Maggs Gym. Junior forward Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) exploded offensively, scoring a season-high 32 points on 9-of-17 shooting to lead all scorers. 

Marymount held the advantage early in the first half, taking a game-high, 14-9 lead at the 10:27 mark. Salisbury fought back to keep the score close, taking a 31-28 lead into the break. The Saints held the an early second half lead, but Salisbury fought back to take the lead with 12 minutes remaining. The Sea Gulls would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game as they held on for the eight point victory. 

Along with Odumeru, junior guard Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Fort Meade) scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting to lead the Sea Gull attack. Williams also contributed eight rebounds and three assists on the night. Senior guard Justin Rice (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) added nine points on 3-of-11 shooting off the bench. 

The Saints had three players in double figures, led by senior guard Corey Diamond (Alexandria, VA/Mount Vernon) who recorded a double-double with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Brandon Parker (Woodbridge, VA/DeMatha Catholic) and freshman guard Mike Gray (Alexandria, VA/St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes) scored 10 points each. Parker added four assists on the evening. 

As a team, Salisbury shot 38.9% from the field (21-of-54), while Marymount shot 42.4% (25-of-59) from the field. The Sea Gulls held a slim advantage in rebounds, 38 to 33. 

Salisbury will look to continue its winning ways Saturday as they play host to conference rival St. Mary’s College. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. at the Maggs Gym.

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Mary Washington Eagles Edge SU Men, 92-88
January 14, 2006

SALISBURY-MARY WASHINGTON BOXSCORE
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (8-6, 2-2 in CAC), looking to continue their impressive play against Goucher earlier in the week, were edged in a close game by the University of Mary Washington Eagles (9-5, 4-0 in CAC), 92-88, on Saturday. Junior guard Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Fort Meade) led the Sea Gulls with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting while recording nine assists. 

In the first half, Salisbury was able to build a sizable lead of twelve, 27-15, with just over eight minutes remaining in the half. Mary Washington was able to take the lead going into halftime on the strength of a 22-9 run.

The two teams continued to play close early in the second half as they traded the lead five times over the first eight minutes. Mary Washington began to take control of the game at that time, stretching to a game-high lead of 11 points with seven minutes remaining. Salisbury was able to use strong three-point shooting down the stretch to get close, but it was not enough as the Eagles held on for the four point victory. 

Aside from Williams, three other Sea Gulls finished in double figures for scoring. Senior forward Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while pulling down seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Gary Ward (Poolesville, MD/Poolesville) and junior guard/forward Rico Stewart (Arlington, VA/Washington & Lee) were big contributors off of the bench. Ward scored 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting, while Stewart scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Stewart also pulled down seven rebounds. 

Sophomore forward Jon Pierce (Manassas, VA/Osbourn Park) led the Eagle attack with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-7 from the three-point arc. Junior Mike Lee (Lofton, VA/Hayfield) and sophomore Justin Baker (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) each scored 16 points, with Lee shooting 4-of-11 from the field and Baker shooting 7-of-14 from the field. Lee also led the Eagles in rebounds with 10. 

Salisbury and Mary Washington had an exceptional night shooting the basketball, with Salisbury shooting 52.4% (33-of-63) from the field and Mary Washington shooting 43.8% (28-of-64) from the field. 

Salisbury will look to return to the win column on Wednesday night as they host CAC conference rival Marymount University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Maggs Gym.

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Sea Gulls Bury Goucher Gophers, 88-70
January 11, 2006

SALISBURY-GOUCHER BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (8-5, 2-1 CAC), following a 1-1 performance at the Great Ships Invitational, returned home Wednesday to defeat Goucher College (0-12, 0-3 CAC), 88-70. Junior forward Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) scored a team-high 27 points to lead the Sea Gulls to victory. 

The Sea Gulls jumped out early against Goucher, scoring the first seven points. From that point forward, Salisbury routed Goucher, amassing a 28-point 48-21 lead at halftime. Odumeru led the Sea Gulls with 16 points at the break. 

In the second half, Salisbury eclipsed a 30-point lead several times, including a game-high 33 points five times in the half. Goucher used the three-point shooting of junior guard James Russo (Cockeysville, MD/Dulaney) and senior guard Jonathan Garritt (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park) to decrease the lead, but it was not enough en route to Salisbury’s 18-point victory. 

Odumeru shot 11-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Senior forward Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) added 13 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting. Senior Justin Rice (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) and junior Rico Stewart (Arlington, VA/Washington & Lee) contributed from the bench. Rice scored 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, while Stewart scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting. 

Russo led the Gophers with 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three-point range. Garritt scored 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Garritt was also sharp from three-point range, hitting five of seven shots. Russo added six rebounds in the losing cause. 

Salisbury shot 45.3% (34-of-75) from the field, while Goucher shot 33.3% from the field (22-of-66). Salisbury edged Goucher in rebounding, 50 to 42. 

Salisbury will travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia on Saturday to take on conference rival Mary Washington at 4:00 p.m. The team will return home next Wednesday to host conference rival Marymount for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

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Sea Gulls Knocks Off Apprentice School, 81-71
January 7, 2006

SALISBURY-APPRENTICE BOXSCORE
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Salisbury University men’s basketball team used its up-tempo offense Saturday afternoon as the Sea Gulls outscored the Newport News Apprentice School 16-6 in fast-break points en route to an 81-71 victory over the Builders in the final day of the Great Ships Classic round robin tournament.

The Gulls’ Segun Odumeru hit 8-of-16 from the field and 10-of-13 from the line to post a game-high 28 points while pulling down seven rebounds as he received all-tournament honors.  Ray Williams added 22 point on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and Justin Rice was also in double figures with 12 points.

Salisbury (7-5), which outrebounded the Builders 44-39, hit 44.6% (29-of-65) from the field and overcame just 23.8% (5-of-21) shooting from behind the three-point arc. The Sea Gulls also connected on 18-of-24 (75%) free throws.

Apprentice (4-10) hit 42.3% (28-of-66) from the field, but couldn’t find the range from behind the three-point arc, connecting on only 16.7% (3-of-18). Charles Holiday finished with 12 points and had four rebounds, while Mark Strom threw in 12 points and hauled in six boards. Reggie Bell and Michael Dunston each cashed in 11 points and Fred Spratley pitched in 10.

The Builders led by six points in the first half, but that was the biggest lead of the period as the contest was tied four times, including the 35-35 halftime score.

Apprentice led by six, 43-37, with 17:10, but Salisbury battled back to knot the score at 47-47 by outscoring the Builders 10-4 with 13:36 remaining. Williams’ layup with 13:09 on the clock gave the Sea Gulls a 49-47 score as the teams traded leads.

Salisbury then began putting the game away with a 15-0 run over a span of 5:36 in the second half to go up 69-58 with 2:21 remaining and the Builders never recovered.

The Sea Gulls will return home and play their first Capital Athletic Conference game of the year Wednesday when they host Goucher College at 7:30 p.m. The SU women will face Goucher at 5:30 p.m.

GREAT SHIPS CLASSIC
ALL-CLASSIC TEAM
Chowan College                       Travon Latham (MVP)
Chowan College                       Marcus Artis
College of Misericordia          Corey Brown
Salisbury University          Segun Odumeru
Apprentice School                   Charles Holiday

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Salisbury Falls to Chowan at Great Ships Invitational, 86-78
January 6, 2006

SALISBURY-CHOWAN BOXSCORE
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Chowan College outscored the Salisbury University men’s basketball team 32-20 in the paint and outscored the Sea Gulls 18-14 on second-chance points Friday night as the Braves knocked off SU 86-78 at the Great Ships Invitational at the Apprentice School.

The lead changed seven times in the game and Salisbury trailed 83-72 with 2:00 remaining in the contest and held the Braves without a field goal for the remainder of the game. But Chowan won the contest despite hitting only 3-of-6 free throws down the stretch, handing the Gulls (6-5) their second loss in three games.

Chowan (4-8) won the contest by hitting 49.3% (35-of-71) from the field, including 60% (18-of-30) in the second half when the Braves outscored Salisbury 49-38 to overcome a 40-37 Sea Gull lead at intermission. The Braves held Salisbury to 40.9% (27-of-66) in the final 20 minutes. The Gulls did hit 11-of-22 from behind the three-point arc.

The lead changed hands 10 times during the game.

Ray Williams led the Salisbury attack with 24 points, his second-highest point total of the season. Williams hit 5-of-8 from behind the three-point arc and 9-of-18 from the field. He also handed out four assists and grabbed four boards. Justin Rice added 17 points on 6-of-10 field goal shooting and 4-of-7 behind the arc. Segun Odumeru dropped in 15 points and Ozi Menakaya scored seven points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Trayvon Lathan paced the Braves with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. He also grabbed nine boards. Aaron scored scored 18 points, Jon Dyer dropped in 16 points and tallied a game-high 11 boards, and Marcus Artis scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds.

The Braves outrebounded the Sea Gulls, 43-38.

Salisbury will close out play in the round robin tournament on Saturday when the Sea Gulls face Apprentice School at 3 p.m. Apprentice knocked off College of Misericordia, 64-62, on Friday. Misericordia will take on Chowan at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Sea Gulls Topple No. 6 York, 69-67
December 10, 2005

SALISBURY-YORK BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (6-4, 1-1 CAC), looking to rebound from a road loss to Messiah, topped the No. 6 team in the nation and conference foe, the Spartans of York College, 69-67, Saturday at the Maggs Center. 

Salisbury began the game in a huge deficit, falling behind York, 16-2, in the first six minutes. Salisbury would respond with a 17-4 run over the next five to pull within one, 20-19. The teams then traded points for the remainder of the half, culminating in the Salisbury lead at halftime, 32-30. 

In the second half, Salisbury would build a nine point led, 48-39, at the 14:26 mark. York would then consummate a 20-10 run to take the lead at the 6:55 mark. Sea Gull sophomore guard Gary Ward (Poolesville, MD/Poolesville) then hit a key-three pointer to put the Gulls in front, 63-59. The Sea Gulls went on to hit 4-of-5 free throws and a field goal to secure the victory. 

Salisbury junior guard Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Fort Meade) led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting, including 4-of-7 from the three-point arc. The Sea Gulls also received strong play from their bench, as senior guard Justin Rice (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and Ward scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, all of which where from the three-point arc. Senior swingman Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) led the Sea Gulls in rebounding with eight. 

The Spartans had three players score in double figures, led by senior forward Kenny Fass (Dallastown, PA/Dallastown) with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting; followed by senior guard Brandon Bushey (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting; and sophomore forward Chad McGowan (Dallastown, PA/Dallastown) with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Senior forward Paddy Lee (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the team. 

Salisbury shot 36.9% (24-of-65) from the field for the game, while York shot 41.1% (23-of-56) from the field. Salisbury topped York in rebounds, 45-39. 

Salisbury will now enjoy their winter break and return to action in early January, when they travel to Newport News, VA to participate in the Great Ships Invitational hosted by Newport News Apprentice on January 6th and 7th, 2006. Salisbury will play Chowan College (NC) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and play the Newport News Apprentice on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

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Falcons Snap Salisbury Two-game Win Streak, 69-56
December 6, 2005

SALISBURY-MESSIAH BOXSCORE
GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Salisbury University men’s basketball team fell behind 35-28 at intermission and couldn’t overcome the Falcons of Messiah College (5-2) Tuesday night as the Sea Gulls had their two-game winning streak snapped with a 69-56 setback on the road.

Salisbury hit only 36.7% (11-of-30) from the field and 0-of-7 from behind the three-point arc in the opening half as the Sea Gulls dropped off the pace early. Rico Stewart scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to secure the comeback for the Gulls (5-4).

Segun Odumeru connected on 8-of-12 from the field and led Salisbury with 17 points, to go along with four boards. Justin Rice added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and Ray Williams dropped in six points and Derrick Washington scored five points.

The Sea Gulls were kept off the boards, finishing with 26 rebounds, compared to 39 for the Falcons.

Zach Wiernicki paced Messiah College with 18 points, to go long with nine boards. Quinn McCullough scored 13 points and had four rebounds. Steve King scored 11 point and had five rebounds.

The Falcons hit 13-of-31 field goals (41.9%) in the first half and held a 21-17 rebounding advantage to open up an early lead.

Messiah won the game despite Salisbury turning the ball over just 10 times, while the Falcons committed 18.

The Sea Gulls will close out the 2005 portion of their schedule Saturday when they host Capital Athletic Conference foe York College at 4 p.m. at the Maggs Center.

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Sea Gulls Capture 13th Annual Salisbury Optimist Classic
December 3, 2005

SALISBURY-SHENANDOAH BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury men’s basketball team (5-3) defeated the Hornets of Shenandoah University (4-2), 67-62, Saturday at the Maggs Center to capture the Tournament crown in the 13th Annual Salisbury Optimist Basketball Classic.

Salisbury began the game strong, taking an 11-3 lead early in the first half. The Sea Gulls would stretch the lead to a game-high 18 at the 15:28 mark, and then take a 14 point, 38-24 lead into halftime. The Hornets shot a mere 28.1% (9-of-32) from the field in the first half to lead to the big deficit.

In the second half, the Hornets edged back into the game as they made their first nine shots in the second half to pull within one point, 43-42, seven minutes into the half. Salisbury would take a time-out to regroup, and then hit their next nine shots to take a seven point lead. From that point forward, the Sea Gulls held the lead for good, winning by the five point margin.

Junior guard Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) led the Sea Gulls in scoring with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field. Senior Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) scored 11 points and led the Sea Gulls in rebounds with eight. Junior Rico Stewart (Arlington, VA/Washington & Lee) was a key contributor off the bench for a second night in a row, scoring 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Junior guard Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Fort Meade) (pictured) only scored nine points, but led the team with six assists.

Junior Onyie Onunaku (Bristow, VA/Stonewall Jackson) scored 22 points on 8-of-18 scoring to lead all scorers. Two other Hornets finished in double figures, as sophomore Jermaine Lawrence (Forestville, MD/Forestville) finished with 13 points on 6-of-16 shooting, while sophomore Steven Johns (Baltimore, MD/Towson Catholic) finishied with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Onunaku led Shenandoah in rebounds with 14, followed by Lawrence with 11.

Shenandoah finished the game shooting 36.4% (24-of-66) from the floor. Salisbury shot 44.3% (27-of-61) from the field.

After the game, two Sea Gulls, Harmon and Williams, were named to the All-tournament team. Williams also took MVP honors. Joining the Sea Gulls on the team were CCNY’s Robert Barker (Brooklyn, NY/La Salle), John Jay’s Aramis Ramos (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) and Shenandoah’s Onunaku.

Salisbury travels Tuesday to Grantham, PA to take on Messiah College at 8:00 p.m. The team returns home Saturday to host conference opponent York College at 4:00 p.m.

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CCNY Tops John Jay, 69-63, to Take Consolation Game
December 3, 2005

CCNY-JOHN JAY BOXSCORE
SALISBURY, Md. - Four players scored in double figures as the Beavers of the City College of New York (3-1) defeated the Bloodhounds of John Jay (0-8), 69-63, in the consolation game of the 13th annual Salisbury Optimist Basketball Classic Saturday at the Maggs Center. With the victory, CCNY claimed third place in the tournament. 

The Beavers were led in scoring by junior forward Robert Barker (Brooklyn, NY/La Salle) with 15 points, who was 4-of-6 from the field and 7-of-12 at the foul line. Junior center Kevin Lowe (Brooklyn, NY/Kingsborough) scored 13 points and led the team with seven rebounds. Others in double figures included junior guard James Boddie (Bronx, NY/Jane Addams) with 12 points, and junior guard Andrew Mungin (Bronx, NY/Vanguard) with 10 points off the bench. 

Senior forward Aramis Ramos (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) led the Bloodhounds in scoring with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. Junior forward Victor Raspaldo (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy) was second in scoring with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting. 

Junior guard Jason Parker (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Louglin) recorded nine assists for John Jay, but it was not enough as the Beavers pulled away late in the game. 

CCNY finished the game shooting 49.1% from the floor (26-of-53), while John Jay finished shooting 46.0% (23-of-50).

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Sea Gulls Tame Bloodhounds, 80-57, in Optimist Classic Nightcap
December 2, 2005

SALISBURY-JOHN JAY BOXSCORE | SALISBURY OPTIMIST MEN'S SCHEDULE
SALISBURY, Md. - After suffering a defeat in their first conference game of the season, the Salisbury men’s basketball rebounded to defeat the Bloodhounds of John Jay College, 80-57, on Friday night at the Maggs Center in day one action of the Salisbury Optimist Basketball Classic. 

Salisbury controlled the tempo of the game from the start, taking the lead at the 4:41 mark of the first half and never looked back. The Bloodhounds closed to within one, 17-16, at 14:02, but the Sea Gulls regained momentum on the strength of a Ray Williams three point field goal. Salisbury would stretch the lead to 11 at the 19:03 mark, and then settle for a 38-28 lead at the half. 

Salisbury came out for the second half on fire, as Williams would score eight points in a span of three minutes. Salisbury never allowed the Bloodhounds to get within 10 points for the remainder of the game, winning by the final 23 point margin. 

Four Sea Gulls scored in double figures, led by junior guard Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Ft. Meade), who had 20 points on 75% (6-of-8) shooting from the floor. Williams was also a perfect three for three from behind the three point arc. Junior swingman Rico Stewart (Arlington, VA/Washington & Lee) scored 17 points off the bench, while shooting 60% (6-of-10) from the field and was 5-of-6 at the free throw line. Junior guard Segun Odemeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) scored 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting, while senior Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) scored 13 on 66.7% (6-of-9) shooting from the field. 

Defensively, Williams led Salisbury in rebounds with five, while Stewart contributed four. 

John Jay junior forward Victor Raspaldo (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy) led his team with 19 points on seven of 13 shooting from the floor. Senior forward Aramis Ramos (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) contributed 13 points on 50% shooting from the field. Ramos also led John Jay with six rebounds. 

The Bloodhounds were hurt by numerous untimely turnovers, totaling 27 for the game. Salisbury turned the ball over 15 times. John Jay finished the game shooting 48.8% (21-of-43) from the floor, compared to 51.8% (29-of-56) shooting from the floor for Salisbury. 

Salisbury (4-3) will face Shenandoah University in the championship game on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. The Hornets defeated the City College of New York, 73-57, in the earlier men’s game. John Jay (0-7) will face CCNY tomorrow afternoon in the consolation game at 1:00 p.m.

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Shenandoah Tops CCNY, 73-57, in Salisbury Optmist Opener
December 2, 2005

SHENANDOAH-CCNY BOXSCORE | SALISBURY OPTIMIST MEN'S SCHEDULE
SALISBURY, Md. - Shenandoah University Hornets placed three players in double figures Friday afternoon to down the Beavers of the City College of New York, 73-57, in the opening round of the Salisbury University Tournament.

Shenandoah (4-1) now moves on to face the winner of the game between host Salisbury and John Jay on in the Championship game on Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

Sophomore Jeremiah Lawrence (Forestville, MD) led the Hornets in the victory over the Beavers (2-1) with a game-high 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Junior Onyie Onunaku (Bristow, VA), who sat with foul trouble for most of the first half, added 11 points and nine boards while classmate Moutkar Fawehinmi (Adelphi, MD) added 10 points for the Hornets. 

Junior forward Narada Watt (Bronx, NY) led C.C.N.Y. with 10 points off the bench. Juniors Andre Womack-Clarke (Brooklyn, NY), Robert Barker (Brownsville, NY) and James Boddie (Castle Hill, NY) each scored nine points apiece. Junior guard Steve Souma (Bronx, NY) led the Beavers in rebounds with seven.

SU never trailed after taking an 8-7 lead on a Fawehinmi jumper at the 15:28 mark of the first. The Hornets extended this lead to as many as 10 points before junior point guard Antwon Townsend (Arlington, VA) scored the final four points of the half on one free throw and a three-pointer with six seconds left. This gave Shenandoah 38-26 advantage heading into the locker room.

The Beavers briefly made a game of it with a 12-4 run to start the second, but Lawrence answered with a pair of layups and SU coasted to the 16-point victory.

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Sea Gulls Drop CAC Opener to Gallaudet, 63-60
November 30, 2005

SALISBURY-GALLAUDET BOXSCORE | SEASON STATISTICS
 WASHINGTON, DC - Senior guard Robert Haney Jr. took a feed from classmate Matthew Johnson and fired a three-point shot off the glass from the right wing as time expired to give the Gallaudet University men's basketball team a dramatic victory over Salisbury University, 63-60, in the Capital Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Wednesday night. With the win, the Bison improved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in CAC play, while the Sea Gulls fell to 3-3 and 0-1 in conference.

The Sea Gulls, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped, lost the contest despite outrebounding the Bison, 41-31. Salisbury, however, struggled offensively. SU hit only 8-of-22 field goals (36.4%) in the first half and 18-of-47 (38.3%) for the game. The Gulls also struggled from behind the three-point arc, hitting only 4-of-15 (26.7%) in the contest.

Ray Williams led the Salisbury attack with 14 points, hitting 4-of-9 field goals and 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Segun Odumeru added 12 points and Rico Stewart dropped in nine points and pulled down six boards. Kyle Harmon led all rebounders with 10, while scoring six points, while Gary Ward finished with seven points.

Robert Haney, Jr. paced Gallaudet with 18 points, including 9-of-16 from the free throw line. Frank Jackson hit only 6-of-17 from the field, but scored 15 points. Both Jackson and Haney both pulled down nine rebounds.

After connecting on 9-of-26 (34.6%) from the field in the first half, the Bison rebounded to connect on 11-of-24 (45.8%) to finish the game with a 40% field goal percentage. GU was successful on 9-of-23 (39.1%) from behind the three-point arc.

Salisbury University will return to action Friday when the Gulls host the 13th Annual Sea Gull Classic. SU will take on John Jay College at 8 p.m. Friday. The other men’s game on Friday matches Shenandoah against City College of New York at 3p.m. The Consolation game is set for Saturday at 3 p.m., with the title game will tip off at 8 p.m.

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Salisbury Surprises No.11 Virginia Wesleyan, 66-62
November 28, 2005

SALISBURY-VWC BOXSCORE | SEASON STATISTICS
SALISBURY, Md. - Salisbury University junior guards Ray Williams (Hanover, Md./Fort Meade) and Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, Md./Parkdale) (pictured) scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, Monday night as the Sea Gulls’s men’s basketball team captured its 2005-06 home opener by knocking off No.11-ranked Virginia Wesleyan College, 66-62, at the Maggs Center.

The Sea Gulls (3-2), who have won three straight since starting the year 0-2, won the contest by holding the Marlins (2-2) to just 43.5% (20-of-46) shooting from the field, while hitting 51.2% (21-of-41) on the offensive end.

Williams, who entered the game as Salisbury’s top scorer, rebounding and assist leader, hit 6-of-11 field goals and had a game-high six assists to go along with four boards. Odumeru dropped in 6-of-13 from the field, but canned 5-of-6 from the free throw stripe to go along with three rebounds.

Senior Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) was a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and hit 5-of-8 from the charity stripe to score 10 points for Salisbury. Senior Justin Rice (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) added seven points and sophomore Darren Johnson (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg) dropped in six points (3-for-4 FG) and had three boards.

Three Virginia Wesleyan players scored in double figures. Junior Brandon Adair (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) paced the Marlins with 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. He also led all rebounders with nine. Senior Marques Fitch (Virginia Beach, Va./Floyd E. Kellam) dropped in 12 points to go along with five boards and sophomore TonTon Balenga (Newport News, Va./Warwick) was also in double figures with 10 points.

Salisbury won the game despite being outrebounded 35-23.

The Sea Gulls jumped out in front early, going on a 15-2 run over the first 5:54 of the contest. Five different Salisbury players scored during the run as SU threatened to break the game open early.

But Virginia Wesleyan fought back and went on a run of its own, outscoring Salisbury 13-0 to tie the score at 15-15 with 7:44 left in the first half.

Neither team could shake its opponent in the remaining seven minutes of the period as the teams went the locker rooms tied 21-21 at intermission.

Williams hit a jumper to start the second half for Salisbury and the Sea Gulls never relinquished the lead. SU held leads of eight points on three occasions before pulling out to a nine-point lead, 39-30, on a layup by Johnson with 11:41 remaining.

Adair’s field goal with 8:59 remaining cut Salisbury’s lead to three points, 40-37, but that was as close as the Marlins would come. The Sea Gulls went on an 11-4 run over the next 6:03 to pull out to a 51-41 advantage with 2:55 left.

Salisbury held on down the stretch by hitting only 10-of-14 free throws in the final 1:13 as the Marlins began to foul.

The Sea Gulls will open Capital Athletic Conference play Wednesday night when the Sea Gulls travel to Gallaudet University for an 8 p.m. start. The women’s league game begins at 6 p.m.

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Sea Gulls Capture Second Straight, Down Washington, 89-74
November 22, 2005

SALISBURY-WASHINGTON BOXSCORE | SEASON STATISTICS
CHESTERTOWN, Md. - The Salisbury University men’s basketball team held Washington College to 26.3% (10-of-38) shooting from the field in the first half and 30% (21-of-70) for the contest as the Sea Gulls captured their second straight victory in an 89-74 win over WAC Tuesday night at the Cain Athletic Center.

In addition to its outstanding play at the defensive end against the Shoremen, Salisbury (2-2) placed four players in double figures on the offensive end. Justin Rice (Bel Air, Md./Milton Wright) paced the Gulls with 25 points, hitting 7-of-11 field goals and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. He also pulled down five boards and dished out four assists. Ray Williams (Hanover, Md./Fort Meade) pumped in 18 points and finished with seven rebounds while picking up four assists.

Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, Md./Parkdale) added 16 points, Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) finished with 10 points and Jonas Vaitkus (Columbia, Md./Atholton) scored six. Salisbury finished the game hitting 48.4% (31-of-64), including 51.6% (16-of-31) in the second half.

Joey Breslin (Hagerstown, Md./St. Maria Goretti) and Jonathan Webb (Milford, Del./Milford) each scored 24 points to pace Washington College (1-3). Breslin hit 9-of-16 field goals and pulled down a game-high 15 boards. Webb hit 11-of-12 free throws. Kyle Stem (Lincoln University, Pa./Salesianum) scored 10 points before fouling out late in the contest.

Salisbury won the game despite being outrebounded 49-38. Washington College committed 14 turnovers, compared to 12 for the Sea Gulls.

The Shoremen opened up a four-point lead on two different occasions early in the game. Salisbury took its first lead, 12-11, at the 12:14 mark of the first half and appeared to gain control. Leading 15-13 with 10:43 left in the half, SU went on a 10-2 run over the next 2:15 to open up a 25-15 lead at the 7:50 mark.

Salisbury led by 10 points or more on six more occasions in the half and held a 40-32 advantage at intermission.

Washington College cut the Sea Gull lead to four, 44-40, with 17:07 left in the contest on a pair of free throws by Webb. But Harmon hit a layup and  a pair of free throws, then Williams nailed a trey and Rice connected on a bucket from behind the three-point arc to finish a 10-0 run over a span of 1:24. That pushed the SU lead back to 14, 54-40.

The Shoremen did manage to cut the lead under 10 several times in the second half, the closest being a 58-52 deficit with 11:30 remaining, but each time Washington mounted a run, the Sea Gulls would retaliate with one of their own.

Salisbury will return to action next Monday when the Sea Gulls host Virginia Wesleyan in the SU home opener at 7 p.m.

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Salisbury Records Initial Win of Season, 83-70, over Goucher
November 20, 2005

SALISBURY-GOUCHER BOXSCORE | SEASON STATISTICS
STEVENSON, Md. - Ray Williams (Hanover, MD / Fort Meade) (pictured) and Segun Odumeru (Riverdal, MD / Parkdale) each scored 27 points for Salisbury University (1-2) to lead the Sea Gull men’s basketball team to an 83-70 victory over Goucher College (0-3) in the Pride of Maryland Tournament, hosted by Villa Julie College, Sunday afternoon.

 

The victory secured seventh place for Salisbury in the eight team field. Salisbury spent most of the game playing catch-up, tying the score twice in the second half before finally taking a lead it would not surrender with 7:58 left in the contest. A Williams trey gave Salisbury the edge. He finished the game 4-for-7 from behind the arc.  The Sea Gulls went on a 15-4 run over the next five minutes to hold the Gophers at bay.

Goucher got 25 points out of James Russo (Cockeysville, MD / Dulaney), and an additional 21 points from Jonathan Garritt (Severna Park , MD / Severna Park ). Garritt was named to the All-Tournament team as was Salisbury’s Williams, who hit 10-of-14 from the field. He was also the leading rebounder in the game with 11.

After shooting 37.5% (12-of-32) in the first half, the Sea Gulls caught fire in the second half, hitting 17-of-32 (53.1%) in the final 20 minutes as SU outscored the Gophers, 53-38.

Salisbury won the rebounding battle, 43-33, and won the contest despite the Gophers hitting 50% (16-of-32) from the field in the second half.

The Sea Gulls will return to action Tuesday when SU travels to Chestertown, Md. to face Washington College at 7:30 p.m.

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Sea Gulls Come Up Short Against Frostburg, 70-62
November 19, 2005

 STEVENSON, Md. – Junior guard Ray Williams (Hanover, MD/Fort Meade) scored 18 points to lead the Sea Gulls, but it was not enough as Salisbury as they fell short to Frostburg State, 70-62, on Saturday. 

Frostburg State (1-1) took advantage of five first half lead changes and 32.9 percent shooting by Salisbury (0-2) to claim a second-round win in the Pride of Maryland Tournament, 70-62, on Saturday at Villa Julie College.

After the two teams exchanged three-point buckets late in the first half, a short jumper in the lane by sophomore Brian Green, Jr. put the Bobcats up, 34-33, with 2:29 remaining in the half.  Frostburg extended the lead to three when senior Brandon Howell put back a shot off of a rebound with 58 seconds remaining, giving the Bobcats the 36-38 lead at the break.

The lead changed hands five times in the first, with Salisbury building a lead of as much as eight, going up 19-11 at the 10:48 mark.  Junior forward Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, MD/Parkdale) broke a scoring drought of just over two minutes for Salisbury with a pair of quick buckets to extend the advantage.

Frostburg didn’t look back for the remainder of the contest and began to pull away in the game’s final minutes.  The Bobcats grabbed their first double-digit advantage of the game with a 9-1 run was capped off by a fast-break layup from senior point guard Victor Arana at the 1:33 mark. 

The Bobcats put away Salisbury good with 27 seconds remaining, when a long outlet pass from the baseline found senior Daniel Ryley, who slammed it home to give Frostburg its biggest lead of the afternoon.

Three Bobcats got into double-figures, with Ryley leading the way at 18 points.  Ryley also grabbed nine rebounds on the afternoon.  Green posted 12 points, shooting 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

Frostburg was 6-of-9 from three-point range, good for 66.7 percent. 

Along with Williams, senior Justin Rice (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) scored 15 points, making three-of-five attempts fromi behind the three-point line. 

Frostburg will take on Goucher in the fifth-place game on Sunday at 2 p.m.  Salisbury will face Hood at noon on Sunday, with seventh-place on the line.
 

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Salisbury Opens Pride of Maryland Tourney With Setback - Nov. 18, 2005
November 18, 2005

SALISBURY-JOHNS HOPKINS BOX
 BALTIMORE, Md. - Johns Hopkins shot 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the field in the second half and 56.8 percent (24-of-44) for the game Friday night as the Blue Jays opened as much as a 21-point lead before defeating the Salisbury men’s basketball team , 76-61, at the Pride of Maryland Tournament at Johns Hopkins University.

Salisbury (0-1) will continue play on Saturday when the Sea Gulls face Frostburg State University  (0-1), a 72-69 loser to McDaniel College on Friday. Saturday’s second-round matchup will be played at Villa Julie College and will tip-off at 3:45 p.m.

The Sea Gulls struggled from the field, hitting a 33.3 percent (7-for-21) in the first half as SU finished the first half with a 32-20 deficit. Salisbury finished the game with a 38.9 percentile (21-of-54) from the field, as Johns Hopkins also won the rebounding battle, 34-27.

Ray Williams led the Salisbury scoring attack with 18 points, connecting on 6-of-12 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws. Segun Odumeru only hit 4-of-14 field goals, but scored 12 points, Justin Rice was 2-for-7 from the field and scored seven points and Gary Ward dropped in six points.

Odumeru and Derrick Washington both pulled down four boards to lead the Gulls.

In the first half, Hopkins opened up a 25-9 advantage by the 6:31 mark, their largest lead of the period. Salisbury was able to narrow the gap to 29-17, but Valerio added a three-pointer with 1:48 remaining to raise the lead back to 15, at 32-17. The Sea Gulls got a free throw and a Williams bucket with 51 seconds remaining to make the halftime score 32-20.

Salisbury managed to keep the score within 15 points through the first nine minutes of the second half, but Hopkins began to stretch the advantage, using a 13-3 run punctuated by two three-point goals by sophomore guard Doug Polster to extend the lead to 55-33 with 9:18 remaining, the largest Hopkins advantage of the night.

The Sea Gulls used a 13-5 run aided by a pair of three-pointers by senior guard Justin Rice to narrow the gap to 13, but the Blue Jay lead was too much for Salisbury to overcome. T.J. Valerio led all scorers with 29 points, connecting on 8-of-13 from the field, including 6-of-9 from behind the three-point line and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Danny Nawrocki scored 13 points and hauled in five boards.

Johns Hopkins forced the ball inside all night long, outscoring the Sea Gulls 26-18 in the paint. JHU finished with 21 turnovers, while Salisbury stood at 16 when the final buzzer sounded.

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Sea Gulls Looking to Put All the Pieces Together in 2005-06
SEASON PREVIEW
November 8, 2005

BASKETBALL QUICK FACTS | 2005-06 ROSTER | 2005-06 SCHEDULE
 SALISBURY, Md. - The past several seasons haven’t been a smooth road to travel for the Salisbury University men’s basketball team. The Sea Gulls have not only struggled with a grueling non-conference schedule, but injuries, inexperience and scattered academic shortcomings have hindered the squad’s efforts to succeed. But the 2005-06 campaign brings a cautious optimism of a possible resurgence toward getting the program back to the success of days gone by.

The initial thought from head coach Steve Holmes sheds some light on the situation: "This is the first time in about four years that we have upperclassmen leadership," Holmes acknowledged. "Not only is there senior leadership, but also five or six players returning that have started at some point in the past."

With the struggles of injuries in the past, players and playing time were shifted to fill vacancies. Now the Sea Gulls look to have a solid nucleus of veterans to build around and the future becomes brighter.

Segun Odumeru (Riverdale, Md./Parkdale), a second team all-Capital Athletic Conference selection a year ago, is back as the Gull’s leading scorer. He averaged 15.8 points per game, sixth among players in the CAC, with 4.2 rebounds per game last season.

Along with Odumeru, Ray Williams (Hanover, Md./Fort Meade) gives Salisbury a potent backcourt combination. Williams averaged nearly 13 points and brings some experience to the guard position. Williams’ ball handling, court awareness and solid free throw shooting, make him a valuable player down the stretch in close games, Holmes admitted. 

A trio of seniors that is expected to step up for Salisbury is led by captain Derrick Washington (Montgomery Village, Md./Watkins Mill). Washington started much of last season when there were injuries at the guard position, and he was counted on to contribute in all phases of the game. Washington was second on the team in steals, averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Justin Rice (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), third in steals while averaging 9.5 points per game, gives the Sea Gulls another talented shooter and defender in the backcourt.

In the front court, Kyle Harmon (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) returns with 7.3 points per game and a 46% field goal proficiency. 

Two more players that Holmes is looking for solid contributions will be Rico Stewart (Arlington, Va./Washington & Lee), a forward averaging in double figures a year ago, and Darren Johnson (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg), a sophomore transfer from St. Mary’s that will see time at center.

With plenty of skilled players returning, Holmes likes the feel of his squad. "Near the end of last season, nobody wanted to play us. Our team goal is season is to win the CAC and get to the NCAA (tournament) and make as much noise as possible," he stated.

Accomplishing this feat might be a lofty goal for a team that finished 10-16 in the regular season a year ago, but Salisbury has the athletes and experience to reach such heights. Holmes points out the fact that the Sea Gulls lost a lot of close games last season, including a playoff loss to a good Catholic team where fortunes could have turned with one possession.

"We will be a very competitive team this season," he admitted. "I feel like we have depth." With that depth, the Sea Gulls hope to wear down opponents with smothering defense and a quick tempo on offense, Holmes said.

Although the Capital Athletic Conference is a solid league from top to bottom, according to the SU boss, Salisbury is more prepared and better equipped for battle the York’s, Gallaudet’s and Catholic’s than in recent years.

Coach Holmes suggests, "Meshing together is the biggest area for improvement that we’ve concentrated our efforts." 

If Salisbury University avoids the injury bug and can mesh as a team as Holmes hopes, the Sea Gulls could be a dangerous basketball team by early 2006.