Vikings Cruise to Convincing Victory Over MCLA, 86-54

THE BASICS

MCLA, 54 vs. Salem State, 86

Records:

MCLA Trailblazers (4-12, 1-6)

Salem State Vikings (10-8, 3-4)

Location: Salem, Mass. – Twohig Gymnasium

Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026

THE LEAD - Behind a dominant double double from Raheim Orleans (Fy.), the Salem State men's basketball team dismantled the MCLA Trailblazers 86-54 on Thursday night. The Vikings took control from the opening tip, building an 18 point halftime lead and never looking back in the conference victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Vikings set the tone early with a 6-0 run to start the game, fueled by buckets from Orleans, Ali Barry (So.), and Omri Merryman (Jr.). Salem State's defense was active from the jump, as Wil Martinez (Sr.) recorded two steals in the first two minutes to disrupt the MCLA offense. The lead grew steadily throughout the half as Jamel Walker (Fy.) and Nicholas Martinez (Jr.) found success in the paint, sending the Vikings into the locker room with a commanding 35-17 advantage.

Salem State maintained its intensity in the second half, outscoring the Trailblazers 51-37 over the final twenty minutes. Merryman opened the period with a jump shot, and Walker electrified the home crowd with a dunk at the 9:59 mark to push the lead to 20. Michael Makiej (Sr.) provided a significant spark off the bench, draining two three pointers as part of a late surge that extended the Vikings' lead to as many as 30 points. The depth of the roster was on full display in the closing minutes, with Damani Williams (So.) and Mohamad Tarjali (So.) adding late scores to seal the 32 point rout.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Raheim Orleans was nearly perfect from the floor, shooting 8-of-9 (88.8%) to finish with a game high 20 points and 13 rebounds. This marked a stellar double double for the center, who also added a block and a steal.

Michael Makiej was highly efficient in his 18 minutes of action, tallying 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting. Jamel Walker also reached double digits with 11 points and tied for the team lead with three assists. Ali Barry and Nicholas Martinez contributed nine and eight points, respectively, while Damani Williams chipped in seven points, including a perfect 4 of 6 from the free-throw line.

The Vikings dominated the interior, outrebounding MCLA 36-28 and recording 11 steals as a team. Defensively, Salem State held the Trailblazers to just 39.2% shooting while forcing 18 turnovers.

UP NEXT

The Vikings will take to the road for their next competition, as they travel to Anna Maria College to take on the AMCATS on Saturday, January 31, for a 2 p.m. tipoff.

By Jack Zenger '25

Photo Credit: Lilly Nunez '25