SALISBURY, Md. – Senior Travon Vann led three players in double figures with 17 points as the Salisbury University men's basketball team defeated Marymount (Va.) University, 70-52, in Capital Athletic Conference action at Maggs Physical Activities Center on Wednesday.
The win, coupled with Frostburg State University's loss at St. Mary's (Md.) College on Wednesday, assured the Sea Gulls a home playoff game in the 2013 CAC tournament. The home contest will be the first for the program since the 2000-01 season, when Head Coach Josh Merkel was a senior playing on the team.
Vann added four rebounds, four assists and one steal, helping Salisbury (15-7, 6-3 CAC). Classmate Elijah Gore chipped in with 13 points and junior Tim Harwood had 11. The Sea Gulls shot 24-for-49 from the field (49 percent for the game, including 13-of-23 (56.5 percent) in the first half. The Gulls also shot 9-for-19 from three-point range (47.7 percent).
Salisbury jumped out to a 16-8 lead at the 12:21 mark on a pair of Gore three-pointers assisted by Conor Strickland and Brandyn Wilkerson, respectively. The lead grew to 21-12 on a Wilkerson three with a Vann assist midway through the first half. Gore added his third three of the opening 20 minutes with 6:10 remaining for the Sea Gulls' first double-digit lead of the game at 26-16.
The Gulls went into halftime up 33-26 when Vann found Harwood underneath the basket for a layup in the final seconds.
Marymount's Antonio Rouse hit a layup to cut the Salisbury lead to 37-34 with 14:34 left, but SU reeled off the next five points with a Kyle Savercool hoop and Harwood three to regain firm control and a 45-36 advantage.
Leading, 61-47, with 2:49 to play, Vann hooked up with Trent Epps on an alley-opp to put an exclamation point on the win.
The Sea Gulls' bench outscored Marmount's on the night, 36-10, and Salisbury held a 26-24 edge on points in the paint.
Jesse Konadu and Reed Scott led Marymount 7-16, 2-8) with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Salisbury travels to Frostburg State on Saturday at 3 p.m.