Engineers come from behind to trip Seahawks, 86-81

NEWPORT, R.I. (January 27, 2024) - Salve Regina University men's basketball dropped an 86-81 decision to Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the Rodgers Recreation Center in NEWMAC action on Saturday afternoon.

Where there was a "Will" there was a way. Will Parisi (Wyckoff, N.J.) came off the bench to spark the Seahawks (10-10, 4-7 NEWMAC) with 15 of his team-high 18 points coming in the first half. Will Bland (Virginia Beach, Va.), who did not play in the previous meeting on January 3, led all players with 25 points on 8-of-10 from the floor, including two threes, and 7-of-8 from the line; Bland scored 14 points in the second-half comeback for the Engineers (4-16, 3-8 NEWMAC).

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: MIT 86, Salve Regina 81
Records: Salve Regina (10-10, 4-7 NEWMAC), MIT (4-16, 3-8 NEWMAC)
All-Time Series: Seahawks and Engineers split the season series, both winning on the road. MIT improves to 5-2 all-time against Salve Regina on the hardwood, meeting twice this month for the first time in 35 years now as members of the NEWMAC.

SUMMARY

• 1H - The Seahawks were scoreless until 17:39 when Miles Fiore converted a lob pass from James Jolly for a layup. Trailing 22-17, Salve Regina went on a 13-0 run kicked off by Will Parisi's first 3-pointer. Sean Seymour had a turnaround jump shot to tie the score and then Declan Walmsley (who wore #20 for the remainder of the first half) had a turnaround field goal in the paint. The Seahawks led by eight (30-22) after a pair of free throws from Jojo Powers. The Engineers engineered a 12-3 run and took a one-point lead (34-33) after Merlin Gogolin's field goal at 2:14. Three straight threes - two by Parisi and one by Brady Spencer - gave Salve Regina its largest lead (nine points; 43-34) before MIT finished the half with a bucket from Gogolin and free throws from Will Bland. | Seahawks 43, Engineers 38
• 2H - Brady Spencer made a layup for the first basket of the second half on Salve Regina's first possession. Both teams exchanged 7-0 swings as the score was tied at 45-all before the Seahawks got back on top at 16:17 (52-45) following a 3-pointer from Jojo Powers. A 9-2 Engineer stretch tied the score at 54-all, and the next seven minutes went back-and-forth with MIT holding a one-point lead (68-67) at 6:20 after Declan Walmsley had a put back in the paint converting a second-chance opportunity for the Seahawks. Tim Minicozzi hit a trey and Will Bland had a four-point play with a triple and a free throw before Isaac Dobie hit another 3-pointer for the largest Engineer lead (78-67). Salve Regina cut the deficit to four with a 7-0 run that featured a couple of steals and a dunk from Declan Walmsley. Salve Regina trailed 80-76 with the ball under a minute remaining and turned it over twice, both times out of bounds. MIT made six of eight free throws in the final 32 seconds while Jojo Powers hit a driving layup with five seconds left and Will Parisi connected on a 3-pointer from near halfcourt at the buzzer. | Engineers 86, Seahawks 81

NOTEWORTHY

• Will Parisi led the Seahawks with 18 points.
• Jojo Powers had 10 of his 13 points in the second half.
• Declan Walmsley (14) and Sean Seymour (12) also scored in double figures for Salve Regina.
• Sean Seymour finished with a game-high 10 rebounds as he recorded a double-double.
• Salve Regina won the battle of the boards, 37 to 30.
• James Jolly and Sean Seymour had five assists apiece.

QUOTING COACH FOSTER

"MIT did a great job of executing and getting to many of the 50/50 balls today. They deserve credit for making plays in crucial times when they needed to. Our guys played hard but the margin of error was small today and we didn't execute well when we needed." -- Salve Regina head coach Sean Foster '97

NEXT UP
Salve Regina plays at Springfield College on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. tip-off.