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Salve Regina University

Salve Regina University Seahawks
Jack McMullen and the Seahawks play at Babson in NEWMAC Semifinal
Noah DeSantis '26
Jack McMullen and the Seahawks face No. 2 Seed Babson College in NEWMAC Semifinal

Preview | #3 Salve Regina at #2 Babson

NEWMAC Men's Basketball Semifinal

2/27/2026 1:14:00 PM

By: Ed Habershaw '03M
NEWMAC Tournament Semifinal
Salve Regina at Babson
Friday, February 27 | 7:30 p.m. 
Staake Gymnasium | Babson Park, Mass.

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SERIES HISTORY
  • These programs meet for the 21st time in men's basketball and 13th time on the Babson campus.
  • Babson owns a 16-4 edge in the overall series including 5-1 as NEWMAC members.
  • The series began in 1982.
  • Salve Regina won the first ever NEWMAC matchup, 68-38, on January 16, 2025 [RECAP].
  • Salve Regina has won only once at Staake Gymnasium, 80-73, on November 18, 2000.
POSTSEASON HISTORY
  • Friday's game will be the second in the NEWMAC playoffs for the Seahawks.
  • Third-seeded Salve Regina (19-7) made its NEWMAC Tournament debut on Thursday night defeating sixth-seeded Clark, 67-61, for its first conference tournament victory of any kind since the CCC (now CNE) semifinals in 2022.
  • Sean Seymour scored 18 points, Domenic Malvey finished with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Jack McMullen posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the Seahawks, who shot 57.1 percent in the second half and outscored the Cougars 18-10 at the free throw line.
LAST MEETING
  • Salve Regina University men's basketball seniors Jack McMullen (East Greenwich, R.I.) and Sean Seymour (Albany, N.Y.) were joined in pre-game ceremonies by support members -- faculty mentor Dr. Arlene Nicholas, manager Ashton McLean (Franklin, Mass.), cheerleaders Kelly EnWright (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Jiana Saunders (Newport, R.I.) -- but the visiting Beavers of Babson College spoiled the party with a 98-64 victory in the final regular season game in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday afternoon at the Rodgers Recreation Center.
  • The Beavers (19-6, 13-3 NEWMAC) lock up the league's No. 2 Seed and advance to the semifinal round next Thursday.
  • Freshman Thomas Ferdinando (Andover, Mass.) topped all players with 23 points on 9-of-18 from the floor including four from long range. He had 18 of the team's 51 first-half points. Sophomore Timmy Mulvey (Reading, Mass.) sank five of seven from behind the arc and finished with 19 points (6-of-8 overall and a pair of free throws).
  • The Seahawks were led by Seymour and Pat Spenard (Rochester, Mass.) both scoring 18 points. Zavier Francoeur (Quincy, Mass.) added 12 points on three field goals, including a trey, plus five from the charity stripe.
THE ONE BEFORE THAT
  • Salve Regina University men's basketball junior Pat Spenard (Rochester, Mass.) scored 21 of his game-high (and career-best) 26 points in the second half but Babson College held on for a 89-74 victory in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at Staake Gymnasium.
  • The Beavers made 14 3-pointers in the 15-point victory.
  • Thomas Ferdinando (Andover, Mass.) led the Beavers with 21 points.
  • Salve Regina suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in 2025-26.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
  • Salve Regina enters the NEWMAC Tournament after posting 11 regular season victories in the league, including a win over No. 1 WPI.
  • The Seahawks average 71.8 points, 35.2 rebounds, 13.1 assists, 6.6 steals, and force 11.3 turnovers per night.
  • Jack McMullen lead the Seahawks on the boards with 6.3 rebounds per game, including 137 on the defensive glass (36 more than any other teammate).
  • McMullen also made the most 3-pointers of any Seahawk (41) entering tonight's game, shooting at a .376 clip from long range.
  • Seymour (16.5 pts, 4.6 reb, 2.0 ast) ranks sixth in the league in scoring and has reached double figures in 11 of the last 12 games, Pat Spenard (12.9 pts, 5.6 reb) ranks fourth in the conference shooting 55.8 percent and Malvey (7.8 pts, 3.8 reb, 3.6 ast) is averaging 12.08 points on 56.1 percent shooting over the last four games.
  • Salve Regina is shooting a league-best 49.8 percent versus NEWMAC foes while averaging 71.9 points and is holding opponents to just 32.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS 
  • Second-seeded Babson (19-6) has won seven in a row and 13 of its last 14 games dating back to January 10 after cruising past Salve Regina 98-64 in last Saturday's regular season finale.
  • First-year Thomas Ferdinando finished with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, sophomore Timmy Mulvey scored 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with a career-high four steals, and classmate Logan Murphy added 10 points and three assists for the Beavers, who built a 24-point halftime lead and shot a season-best 60.7 percent in the rout.
  • Ferdinando (16.6 pts, 4.0 reb, 2.6 ast) ranks fifth in the NEWMAC in scoring and has finished with 20 or more points in four of the last five games, Mulvey (15.9 pts, 2.5 ast) is eighth in the league in scoring and has connected on at least three three-pointers in 12 straight contests, and senior Timmy O'Toole (10.0 pts, 8.7 reb) leads the conference in rebounding and is shooting 58.1 percent from the field.
  • The Green and White ranks first against conference foes in scoring defense (62.5 points), rebounding margin (+4.4) and forced turnovers (14.9), and is making a league best 10.3 three-pointers per game.
TOURNAMENT TESTED
  • While this is Salve Regina's first foray into NEWMAC postseason, the Seahawks had recent success in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (now Conference of New England) with a title game appearance in 2022 against Nichols College.
  • The Seahawks have three conference banners in their history (2011, 1995, 1989).
  • Salve Regina head coach Sean Foster '97 owns the most wins in program history (280) which is 135 more than his mentor, Mike Raffa, in second place all-time with 145 wins from 1987 to 1999 including two conference championships (1989, 1995 -- Foster's first-year as a player).
  • Through its win last night in its first NEWMAC postseason game, Salve Regina is 30-28 all-time in conference playoff action.
  • Led by head coach Stephen Brennan, the Beavers have capture six conference championships (2002, 2004, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024) and have advanced to the NEWMAC final five times over the last 10 years.
STREAKING INTO THE POSTSEASON
  • Since dropping its fourth straight game to slip to 6-5 overall and 0-2 in the NEWMAC with a loss to Clark back on January 4, the Beavers have won 13 of their last 14 games while recording 11 double-digit victories. 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
  • With a win tonight, Salve Regina men's basketball will reach the 20 victory mark for the fifth time in program history. 
UP NEXT
  • The winner of Friday's semifinal will play on Sunday, March 1, in the league's championship game, for the right to earn the conference's automatic bid, versus the winner of the other semifinal -- No. 4 Wheaton / No. 1 WPI. If the Lyons upset the Engineers, the Beavers/Seahawks winner would host the title game.
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