Engineers too tough at home for Seahawks

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 20, 2024) -- Aidan Callahan (Rowley, Mass.) and Donovan Sevilla (San Ramon, Calif.) combined for 43 points as WPI men's basketball captured its third home contest this week on Saturday afternoon, knocking off Salve Regina 74-58 and in the process delivering head coach Chris Bartley his 200th career NEWMAC victory.

WPI, which is receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25, moves to 15-3 on the season and 8-1 in conference play, while Salve Regina dips to 10-8 overall and 4-5 in NEWMAC action.

The Engineers began the day by shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-4 from behind the arc to get out to an early 14-8 lead. Sevilla and Callahan scored the first 14 accounted for all 14 with Sevilla pouring in eight and Callahan dropping in six. The majority of the half was tightly contested, as the teams were both excellent defensively. An 8-0 run in the waning minutes of the first half by the hosts extended the Crimson and Gray's lead to 11, as the Engineers never trailed in the first 20.

Sevilla led the Engineers with 13 first-half points, on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep. Callahan added 10 for the Engineers, on 80% shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. WPI shot 9-of-15 from 3-point territory as a team, including a 3-for-3 half from Jack Bleier (Victor, N.Y.), to give him nine points in the half. Salve Regina was paced by James Jolly (Kingston, England), who had seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, and Declan Walmsley (Franklin, Mass.) who added five points for the Seahawks. Salve Regina outrebounded the Engineers, 18-15, but struggled from the field, shooting 38.5% in the first half. A hot start and late run gave the Crimson and Gray a 37-25 lead at the end of the first half.

The first five minutes of the second half were tight, with Miles Fiore (Narragansett, R.I.) and Jolly adding four each for the Seahawks. A pair of Callahan free throws with 15:14 ignited a 10-1 run for the Engineers, where they went 3-of-4 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to go up by 19. WPI maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, for a 74-58 wire-to-wire win.

Turnovers were the difference in the second half, as the Crimson and Gray forced nine turnovers. WPI took care of business from the line in the second half, shooting 11-of-12 on free throws.

Callahan and Sevilla had massive days for the Engineers, scoring 23 and 20 points respectively on the afternoon. Callahan was a flawless 8-of-8 from the free throw line, and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. The junior swiped five steals for the Engineers as well. John Adams (Douglas, Mass.) grabbed 10 boards, doled out three assists and added an emphatic block while J.R. Newman (Havertown, Pa.) joined Bleier with nine points and Nathan Bledsoe (San Antonio, Texas) contributed with seven points off the bench.

Walmsley had 14 points and five assists for Salve Regina, and Jolly and Fiore each added 11 points and four assists for the Seahawks.

WPI is back on the court on Wednesday, venturing to Babson for a 7pm showdown with the Beavers. The Seahawks return to Worcester on Wednesday, heading a bit further down Park Ave. to face Clark beginning at 5pm.

Note: Majority of recap written by WPI Sports Information Student Assistant Owen Radcliffe '25