SALEM, Mass. -- The FDU-Florham men's basketball team dropped their first of two games in the Salem State Holiday Classic, falling to host Salem State University 76-51 on Monday night at the Twohig Gymnasium.

The Devils (1-9) never led in the contest as the Vikings (6-4) shot 46.2 percent from the floor, while limiting FDU-Florham to 25.8 shooting.

Sophomore forward Donte Ali (Willingboro, N.J.) amassed a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and was the lone Devil to notch double-figures in the loss.

The Vikings jumped out to an early lead and maintained their advantage for the duration of the first half en route to a 36-24 lead at the break. FDU-Florham held a 26-22 edge on the glass over the first 20 minutes, however, they were outscored 14-6 in the paint by the Vikings, who did not commit a single turnover in the half.

Nine of Ali's 12 points came in the first half and the Devils pulled within five midway through the stanza before the Vikings increased their cushion to double digits.

Salem State immediately enhanced their lead to 20 by opening the second half with a 10-2 run. Bryan Ortiz sparked the scoring spurt for the Vikings by netting four of his game-high 16 points over that stretch. 

The Devils were unable to mount a comeback as the Vikings ran off and built their lead to as much as 29 points before finalizing the 25-point victory.

All 15 Devils saw action and 10 different players scored in the loss. Freshman forward Veon Lassiter (Elizabeth, N.J.) corraled seven boards and added five points, with two blocked shots in defeat.

Next up for the Devils:
FDU-Florham takes on Worcester Polytechnic Institute tomorrow at 3 p.m. in their Salem State Holiday finale.