Vikings' Comeback Falls Short

SALEM, Mass. – Salem State women's basketball hosted crosstown foe Endicott College this afternoon, with the Gulls coming away with a 73-67 victory, leaving the Vikings still searching for their first win of the season.

Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) spearheaded the Vikings with a 16-point, 14- rebound double-double while Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) and Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H) added 15 apiece, with Gates dishing out five assists in the effort.

For the Gulls, Libby Fleming (Bangor, Maine) had a game-high 23 points to go along with six boards while Sofia Mazzotta (Billerica, Mass.) contributed with 18 points off the bench for the Gulls.

How it Happened:

• The Gulls jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the opening minutes, forcing the Vikings to regroup at the 5:22 mark. The adjustment paid off, and with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Vikings trimmed the deficit to five points following a layup from Kylie Schrock (Rockport, Mass.). However, a pair of quick layups by the Gulls pushed their lead back to 18-9 as the first quarter came to a close.
• Midway through the second quarter, the Gulls extended their lead to 12 points, 27-15, after hitting two quick three-pointers. However, the Vikings responded, with Teng draining a three to bring it back to a single-digit game. Salem continued to chip away, cutting the Gulls' lead to 32-26 as they headed into the break.
• Two minutes into the third quarter, the Gulls pushed their lead back into double digits and reached their largest lead of the game after a jumper from Fleming made it 47-28 with 6:37 remaining. With 3:30 remaining in the third quarter, Teng sparked a 12-4 run for the Vikings, to cut into the deficit and make it a 56-48 game to enter the final 10 minutes of action.
• The Gulls led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, before a layup from Gates at the 3:32 mark brought the Vikings within two, 63-61. Salem continued to push, and with just over a minute remaining, Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) hit two crucial baskets to make it a one-point game, 68-67, with 29 seconds to play. However, the Gulls sealed the win at the free-throw line, hitting 5 of 6 attempts to secure a 73-67 victory over the Vikings.

Inside the Numbers:

• Ernidia Goncalves recorded her first double-double of the season in this afternoon's effort.
• Both of Salem State's games this week have been against teams from the Conference of New England.  

Up Next:

The Vikings will hit the road for their first away trip of the season on Tuesday, November 19, when they travel to Clark University to take on the Cougars at 6 p.m.