Bluefield, WV – Bluefield State University men's basketball secured the 96-90 victory over Salem University on Saturday at Ned Shott Gymnasium.
Malik Tidwell led all scorers with a season high of 39 points followed by Kaine McColley with 18, Jordan Hinds with 17 and Rylan Bowens with ten. Bowens completed the double-double adding 11 rebounds with Hirotaka Ohashi having a season high of 11 assists on the night.
A jumper from Bowens put the Big Blue up 13-7 five minutes into play. The Tigers took their first lead of the night midway through the first half, but a three from Tidwell evened the score at 20 at the 7:56 mark. Later, a midrange jumper from Bowen sparked an 11-point run for the Big Blue to take the 12-point lead over the Tigers. In the final minute of the half, back-to-back threes from McColley and Lacewell followed by two free throws from the Tigers, took the Big Blue into the second with the 14-point advantage over the Tigers.
A three from Tidwell put the Big Blue at their largest lead of the night (22) over the Tigers with 13:29 left in play. The Tigers slowly chipped away at the Big Blue lead getting into single digits with 3:32 left in the second. In the final minute, a Tigers three put them down by four. The final points of the night came from a trip to the line by Hinds to secure the 96-90 victory over the Tigers.
Up Next
The Big Blue will host Winston-Salem State University Wednesday, February 1st at 7 p.m.
