NEWPORT, R.I. -- Salve Regina University sophomore
Zavier Francoeur (Canton, Mass.) led the Seahawks with his career-best 16 points, but visiting Wheaton College men's basketball defeated the hosts, 72-53, in a New England Women's Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup at the Rodgers Recreation Center on Tuesday evening.
Junior
Demetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to pace the Lyons (11-5, 4-3 NEWMAC). Senior
Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) led all players at halftime with 10 points and finished with 14 for Wheaton. Salve Regina (12-4, 5-2 NEWMAC) also had senior captain
Sean Seymour (Albany, N.Y.) in double digit scoring with 11 points while fellow classmate and captain
Jack McMullen (East Greenwich, R.I.) led all players with eight rebounds.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Wheaton 72, Salve Regina 53
Records: Salve Regina (12-4, 5-2 NEWMAC), Wheaton (11-5, 4-3 NEWMAC)
History: These programs meet for the 26th time in men's basketball and fifth since Salve Regina joined the NEWMAC. Wheaton leads the all-time series, 18-8, which began in 1989. The Seahawks and Lyons had split the previous eight meetings with Salve Regina taking their first NEWMAC matchup in the most recent meeting (Feb. 8, 2025 at Wheaton). Seahawks led from start to finish as
Sean Seymour scored a career-high 35 points on 13-of-18 from the floor including four 3-pointers and five free throws in 29 minutes off the bench.
Declan Walmsley got his only win against his dad (former coach Brian Walmsley).
SUMMARY
First Half — Lyons Assert Control Early
- 1H | In front of 205 fans at the Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, R.I., Wheaton seized early momentum and never relinquished it in the opening 20 minutes. After trading early possessions with Salve Regina, Wheaton's Tristan Herry hit an early three and Eoin Morrissey converted inside to stake the Lyons to a quick 5–0 lead. Wheaton's offensive efficiency was evident from the outset: a balanced attack that mixed aggressive drives with timely outside shooting yielded a 29–21 lead at the break. Dimetri Iafrate paced the Lyons with consistent scoring, hitting multiple field goals and free throws, while Morrissey was effective attacking the paint and generating second-chance opportunities. Defensively, Wheaton held Salve Regina in check, forcing turnovers and limiting execution in transition. Despite Zavier Francoeur and Sean Seymour finding rhythm at times for the Seahawks, Salve Regina struggled with consistency from long range and couldn't string together sustained offensive runs. By halftime, Wheaton's multi-faceted offense had outpaced Salve Regina's scoring with contributions from nearly every rotation player, setting the stage for a decisive second half. | LYONS 29, SEAHAWKS 21
Second Half — Lyons Pull Away
- 2H | Wheaton came out of the locker room with renewed intensity, turning their eight-point halftime advantage into a 43-32 second-half scoring margin. Iafrate continued his standout performance, finishing with a game-high point total and punctuating the half with efficient shooting. Morrissey complemented him inside, showcasing strong rebounding and finishing around the rim. Where the first half was defined by balanced scoring and defensive stops, the second half saw Wheaton extend leads on both ends. The Lyons shot over 57 percent from the field in the second, a significant uptick that widened the gap. Meanwhile, Wheaton tightened its defense, forcing Salve Regina into contested shots and limiting their second chances. Though Francoeur led Salve Regina in scoring and McMullen battled on the boards, the Seahawks couldn't cut into Wheaton's cushion. By converting free throws down the stretch and controlling the tempo, Wheaton pulled away to a 72–53 final score. | LYONS 43, SEAHAWKS 32
NOTEWORTHY
- Wheaton had six more field goals (26-20) and six more from long range (eight to two).
- Salve Regina had its largest rebounding negative margin (-11) with the Lyons owning 38 boards to just 27 for the Seahawks.
- Seahawk senior Jack McMullen led all players with eight caroms.
QUOTABLE SEAHAWKS
"Definitely was not our night tonight; we could not get many positive plays in a row. It was atypical of the efforts we have been seeing out of our group; we did a poor job protecting the paint and our rebounding was extremely weak. We did not create shots for each as we have been doing. Wheaton deserves all the credit they outplayed us for 40 minutes led by Iafrate and Morrissey and played together." -- Seahawk head coach Sean Foster '97
ON THE HORIZON
Salve Regina plays at Babson College on Thursday night (7 p.m.) in the final of the first half of the double round-robin series.
