NEWPORT, R.I. -- Salve Regina University men's basketball rallied for a 77-73 victory over #24 Worcester Polytechnic Institute in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action at the Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, Rhode Island, on Tuesday evening.
The Seahawks remain undefeated in NEWMAC play and deliver the Engineers their first conference setback.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salve Regina 77, #24 WPI 73
Records: Salve Regina (11-2, 4-0 NEWMAC), #24 WPI (10-3, 3-1 NEWMAC)
History: These programs meet for the 24th time in men's basketball and fifth time as fellow NEWMAC members. WPI had won six in a row including all four during league competition. Last season, in his first Seahawk start, Salve Regina's
Pat Spenard scored a career-best 20 points on 6-for-10 from the floor and 7-of-8 at the free throw line, but then #11 WPI engineered an 86-65 win in the NEWMAC opener at the Harrington Auditorium. Last January,
Brad Fowler's double-double put a scare in the #19 Engineers before the visitors succeeded in Newport, 58-56. WPI leads the all-time series, 17- 7, while Salve Regina won four straight from 1999 through 2001.
SUMMARY
- 1H | WPI came out of the gates with a burst of scoring in the early minutes, punctuated by Nathan Bledsoe's hot start from beyond the arc. Bledsoe's 3-pointer at the 18:51 mark pushed the Engineers up 3–0 and signaled Worcester Polytechnic Institute's intent to control tempo from the outset. Nicholas Margetson followed with a strong inside layup that extended WPI's lead to 5–0, and Justin Molen added another triple to make it 8–2. Facing early pressure, Salve Regina responded methodically. Sean Seymour hit a jumper to get the Seahawks on the board at 5–2 and Jack Margoupis converted a pair of free throws to trim the deficit. Despite WPI extending its edge to 11–3 and then 16–5 with another Bledsoe 3-pointer, Salve's offense began to find rhythm. Jack McMullen's paint layup and a layup from Pat Spenard helped close the gap, with Margoupis hitting a corner triple on a fast break that pulled the Seahawks closer at 18–12. WPI maintained a slim advantage for much of the first period, but Salve's diversified scoring — paced by McMullen's early aggression and Margoupis' sharpshooting — kept the contest competitive. By halftime, the score reflected the back-and-forth nature of the first 20 minutes: Salve Regina trailed narrowly, 40–39, setting up a tightly contested second half. WPI shot efficiently early, especially from deep, with Bledsoe and Molen providing perimeter scoring. Salve maintained balance with contributions from multiple players, preventing the Engineers from building a large lead. The half ended with the Seahawks down by one despite trailing by as many as double digits earlier. | SEAHAWKS 39, ENGINEERS 40
- 2H | The second half swung decisively in Salve Regina's favor as the Seahawks built a lead and then withstood WPI's comeback attempts. Salve came out strong, shooting efficiently and converting key opportunities to push its total above 70 points while limiting the Engineers' margin. Offensively, Salve continued to ride the hot hands of its backcourt. Margoupis and McMullen stayed aggressive, combining for significant scoring in the second half. The Seahawks' inside and outside balance allowed them to stretch the lead to a multi-possession advantage, and free-throw attempts down the stretch provided critical points. WPI remained within striking distance, trimming deficits with timely makes, but could not fully overcome Salve's scoring runs. The Engineers' perimeter shooting cooled relative to the first half, and turnovers in key moments prevented them from tying or overtaking the Seahawks. In the game's final minutes, Salve's margin proved just large enough. The Seahawks sustained pressure late and capitalized on free-throw opportunities to seal the 77–73 win, improving their conference mark. McMullen finished with 11 of his 19 points in the second half, while Margoupis led all scorers with 23 points. WPI's Bledsoe led his team with 17 points, but the Engineers came up short in the closing stretch. | SEAHAWKS 38, ENGINEERS 33
NOTEWORTHY
- Jack Margoupis led all players with 23 points on 8-of-18 from the floor including three 3-pointers and four free throws.
- Jack McMullen and Nathan Bledsoe both sank five 3-pointers and finished with 19 and 17 points, respectively.
- Zavier Francoeur sank a pair of free throws with less than a second on the clock to finish with nine points in the game and the final score.
- There were five lead changes and three ties in the game.
- Salve Regina shot over 55 percent from the floor for the third straight game, all NEWMAC victories.
- Bledsoe (17) led all five WPI starters in double figures while Nicholas Margetson (15), Tim Reidy (13), Justin Molen (11), and J.R. Newman (10) rounded out the Engineer top scorers.
- Francoeur, Bledsoe, and Nolen each dished out four assists.
- Seahawks also had 14 points from Sean Seymour and 10 from Pat Spenard, the latter on five-of-six from the floor.
- Margoupis and McMullen also led Salve Regina with five defensive boards apiece.
QUOTABLE SEAHAWKS
"Our group displayed tremendous grit and toughness tonight against a very strong WPI team. They are very difficult to play against and are so well coached. My staff and I are really proud of the effort and perseverance the team showed to grind back from losing the lead and being down late. We have a lot to continue to work on however our captains showed the solid leadership we needed and the team executed when we needed to most." -- Seahawk head coach Sean Foster '97
ON THE HORIZON
Salve Regina travels to the birthplace of basketball for a noon tip-off against Springfield College on Thursday on
FloCollege.
