NORTON, Mass. -- Salve Regina University men's basketball shot nearly 60 percent in the first half to build a nine-point lead (35-26) and finished with a 69-62 victory on the road against Wheaton College in a New England Women's Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup at the Emerson Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
Senior
Sean Seymour (Albany, N.Y.) and junior
Pat Spenard (Rochester, Mass.) recorded double-doubles with 22 and 14 points, respectively, and 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively.
William Mensah (Newburgh, N.Y.) and
Domenic Malvey (Newtown, N.H.) contributed a dozen points apiece.
Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) played the entire 40 minutes and led the Lyons with 14 points while
Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) and
Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) both added 12 points for the hosts.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salve Regina 69, Wheaton 62
Records: Salve Regina (18-6, 11-4 NEWMAC), Wheaton (15-9, 8-7 NEWMAC)
History: These programs meet for the 27th time in men's basketball and sixth since Salve Regina joined the NEWMAC. Wheaton leads the all-time series, 18-8, which began in 1989.
SUMMARY
First Half — Seahawks shoot nearly 60 percent
- 1H | Salve Regina jumped out to an early advantage and never relinquished it in the opening 20 minutes. Behind efficient field goal shooting and aggressive rebounding, the Seahawks built a lead that hovered around 8–15 points for much of the stanza. Senior guard Sean Seymour paced the charge offensively, converting on multiple mid-range opportunities and helping Salve Regina create separation. The home team shot over 59 % from the field in the half and used strong finishes at the rim to counter Wheaton's perimeter attempts. Wheaton hung around with a few timely baskets from Dimetri Iafrate and Eoin Morrissey, but Salve Regina's scoring depth and defensive stops allowed them to enter halftime ahead by nine. | SEAHAWKS 35, LYONS 26
Second Half — Francoeur puts exclamation point on victory with dunk at the end
- 2H | The second half saw Wheaton fight back with greater intensity on both ends. The Lyons improved their shooting and capitalized on transition chances to chip away at the deficit. While Salve Regina didn't lead by as much in the second period, they maintained control through a balanced scoring attack and clutch free throws down the stretch. Wheaton outscored Salve Regina 36–34 in the half, narrowing the margin in the closing minutes, but the Seahawks' early lead and steady execution preserved the victory. Sean Seymour's final defensive rebound led to a Zavier Francoeur (Quincy, Mass.) fast break dunk in the closing seconds. | LYONS 36, SEAHAWKS 34
NOTEWORTHY
- Sean Seymour (22 pts, 11 rbs) and Pat Spenard (14 pts, 10 rbs) post double-doubles.
- William Mensah and Domenic Malvey both scored 12 points for the Seahawks.
- Salve Regina made 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) free throws in the second half.
- The Seahawks had a 20-rebound advantage over the Lyons (42-22).
QUOTABLE SEAHAWKS
"Tonight our group showed great maturity to close out a tough road victory. It wasn't always pretty, but we stuck to the defensive game plan, and had big stops down the stretch with excellent effort rebounding. When you can execute late, which our guys did, value possessions, make your free throws and get stops when you need them most, that says a lot about your team's character. I'm very proud of the grit and toughness our group has shown throughout the whole season. They are a special group." -- Seahawk head coach Sean Foster '97
ON THE HORIZON
Salve Regina hosts Babson College on Saturday afternoon in the final of the regular season with Senior Day for
Jack McMullen and
Sean Seymour on
FloCollege.
