By Joseph Varela
The Alderson Broaddus men’s basketball team jumped out to an early lead over Salem International University on Dec. 4 and never let up. The Battlers (3-4) controlled the tempo from the first whistle and beat Salem International University (6-3) by a score of 88-63.
A commanding first-half performance had the Battlers sitting comfortable going into the locker room by dominating the Tigers 40-27. Playing with a relentless attitude, the Battlers continued to knock down shot after shot, outscoring the Tigers 48-36 in the second half.
David Shriver, a local product from Philip Barbour High school, led the Battlers with 23 points. Twenty-one of those came from beyond the three-point arc where he went 7-14. Shriver also finished three rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes of play.
Players Malik Bocook and Brandon Simmons both finished with double-doubles. Bocook scored 18 points and collected 20 rebounds to record the double-double. He also added four assists and two blocks to his stat sheet. Simmons, on the other hand, finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds to complete the double-double. Simmons also added two assists, two blocks and a steal to his stat sheet.
Strong defense on the perimeter was the key to winning the game by such a large margin, which forced the Tigers to shoot a mere 8-28 from the three-point arc. On the other end of the floor, the Battlers sunk 12 three-pointers and went 12-27 beyond the arc.
The Battlers will be back in action against Davis & Elkins (1-5) college in Elkins, West Virginia on December 6 with a tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m.
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