Lions' long-range shooting sinks Seahawks, 60-58

NEWPORT, R.I. (Thursday, January 18, 2024) -- The Salve Regina University men's basketball team dropped a 60-58 decision to visiting Emerson College in NEWMAC action at the Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport.

Junior captain Declan Walmsley (Franklin, Mass.) led all players with 21 points but came up short on a potential game-tying driving layup in the closing seconds. Sophomore Sean Seymour (Albany, N.Y.) posted a double-double with a career-high 14 rebounds and 10 points.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Emerson 60, Salve Regina 58
Records: Salve Regina (10-7, 4-4 NEWMAC), Emerson (7-10, 3-6 NEWMAC)
All-Time Series: Salve Regina and Emerson resume a series that began in 1984, but was curtailed 20 years ago. Tonight was the first meeting as NEWMAC opponents. Salve Regina won the first 12 meetings (1984-1995); Emerson won the last meeting in 2004. 

SUMMARY:

• 1H - Declan Walmsley opened the scoring with an unassisted layup on the second Seahawk possession. After Walsmley's second bucket at 15:13, Trevor Arico jump started a 10-0 Lions' run with back-to-back 3-pointers. Trailing 18-6, Jojo Powers sank a pair of free throws to get the Seahawks going on a 16-0 run. Brady Spencer followed with a short jumper and then a layup before James Jolly's hook shot had the Seahawks within three points. Walmsley tied the score on a trey and then a fast break dunk after an Emerson turnover forced a timeout for the visitors before Jolly added a layup for a four-point Seahawk lead. Freshman Shay Roban's trifecta with a minute left in the half put Emerson back on top by five before Walsmley finished the frame with an offensive tip in. | Lions 31, Seahawks 30
• 2H - Lucas Brenner expanded the Emerson lead to three with the first basket of the second half. Declan Walmsley answered with a layup and two free throws. Walmsley's 3-pointer at 14:40 put Salve Regina up two (41-39) and Sean Seymour got it to four with a layup at 13:26. Jacob Armant took over with two triples and a pair of free throws. The Seahawks made one from the charity stripe before Armant hit his third three of the half. Sam Ndu hit a second-chance jumper for an eight-point lead (52-44). Seymour and Fiore's baskets cut the deficit in half, but Brendan McNamara nailed a 3-pointer at 7:24. Walmsley's 3-pointer made it a two-point game (57-55) at 4:54 while James Jolly's free throws were the final points at 1:45. Salve Regina had a turnover and one missed shot in the last minute. | Lions 60, Seahawks 58 

NOTEWORTHY:

• Sean Seymour posted a double-double with a career-high 14 rebounds and 10 points.
• Declan Walmsley led all players with 21 points on 8-of-14 from the floor including 3-of-6 from long distance.
• All other Seahawks combined to go 0-for-13 from 3-point range.
• Salve Regina outrebounded the visitors, 45 to 39.
• Tonight's game featured five deadlocks and seven lead changes.
• Seahawks made 15-of-19 free throws but missed the front end of one-and-one opportunities on two occasions.
• Declan Walmsley led the Seahawks with four assists; Brendan McNamara had six helpers for the Lions.
• The Lions made 11-of-35 (31.4%) 3-pointers.

QUOTE FROM COACH FOSTER:

"Unfortunately we lost our discipline at both ends of the floor tonight. Emerson deserves credit for playing harder and executing their system. As a group we need to do a better job of playing with more energy, communicating defensively and having more patience and shot discipline on the offensive end. We need to learn from this game and hopefully benefit from the experience to execute at a higher level as we continue conference play." -- Salve Regina head coach Sean Foster '97

ON THE HORIZON:
The Seahawks play against the Engineers of WPI in Worcester, Mass., on Saturday (1 p.m.).