WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester State took a ten point lead to the halftime locker room, but saw Salem State come surging back as the Vikings handed the Lancers an 88-82 defeat in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's basketball action on Monday evening at Brissette '88 Competition Court.
The Vikings stay undefeated in MASCAC play, improving to 6-0 in the league and 10-7 overall. Worcester State falls to 7-10 and sees their conference record even up at 2-2.
Ryan Rubenskas (Bridgewater, Mass.) scored 16 points on 8-12 shooting in the first half on his way to an impressive double-double, but he was held in check after the break, finishing the night with 19 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks.
Worcester led 49-39 at the break after shooting 57% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, but Sean Bryan (Lowell, Mass.) scored 18 of his game-high 29 in the second half. Bryan had a big night for Salem with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Sam Dion (Barre, Mass.) hit a three-pointer to give Worcester a 56-45 lead with 17:22 to play, but Salem chipped away at the deficit with seven straight points by Conner Byrne (Melrose, Mass.), who finished the night with 20 points and seven rebounds.
The Vikings eventually opened up a nine-point lead but the Lancers battled back and tied things at 79 with 2:33 when Chris Cardoso (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) nailed a three.
Bryan got into the paint for back-to-back layups, as Salem had a 48-30 edge in points in the paint, and Salem did not relinquish the lead, forcing two turnovers in the final two minutes.
Cardoso had 14 points and 8 assists for the Lancers, who had 26 assists as a team, to just 11 by the Vikings. Erik Bjorn (Holden, Mass.) had another double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, along with six assists and three blocks. Corey Olivier (Maynard, Mass.) scored 14 points and handed out four assists off the bench.
Worcester State heads to Framingham on Wednesday for a 7:30 PM game, while Salem State awaits a rematch with the Lancers in Salem on Saturday at 2:00 PM.