Cougars Hold On to Defeat Vikings

WORCESTER, Mass. – Salem State women's basketball traveled to Clark University for their first road game of the season, where the Cougars held on for a 78-71 victory despite the Vikings rallying to erase a 21-point deficit.

Ernidia Goncalves recorded a dominant 21-point, 21-rebound double-double for the Vikings, while Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) and Jaylen Nieves (Chicopee, Mass.) each contributed 13 points. Gates also added six assists in the effort.

For the Cougars, four players scored in double figures, with Kailey Rios (Hesperia, Calif.) and Catherine Antwi (Lowell, Mass.) leading the way with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

How it Happened:

• The Cougars would hold a 14-9 lead halfway through the opening stanza, before five consecutive points from Nicolette D'Itria (Revere, Mass.) put Salem ahead 17-14. D'Itria's run would be the last points scored by the Vikings in the first quarter, as the Cougars ended the frame with a 10-0 run to lead 24-17 heading into the second.
• The Cougars built a lead as large as 15 points before Zaiter finished with the contact to bring the Vikings within 10 with 3:10 remaining in the half. However, the Cougars held the Vikings to just one more field goal to extend their lead to 17 and take the 48-31 advantage into the break.
• The Cougars reached their largest lead of the game at the five-minute mark of the third quarter, when a layup put them ahead 59-38. However, fueled by seven points from Goncalves, the Vikings trimmed the deficit to 12, closing the quarter at 62-50 as they headed into the final 10 minutes of play.
• A layup from Gates cut the deficit to five points at the six-minute mark, and moments later, her steal and assist to Abuk Teng (Manchester, N.H.) made it a one-possession game, 68-65, with 2:56 remaining. With a minute and change to play the Vikings would find themselves within two, but that would be as close as the Vikings would get as Clark sealed the win by going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line to secure the 78-71 victory.

Inside the Numbers:

• Ernidia Goncalves has now recorded a double-double in back-to-back games for the Vikings, with her 21 rebounds tying a career-high for the junior.
• Clark's victory tonight improves their record to 3-8 over the past decade in matchups against Salem State.

Up Next:

The Vikings will travel to Chicopee, Massachusetts on Thursday, November 21^st to take on Elms College at 7p.m.