NEWPORT, R.I. -- Michael Zhang's three pointer with 30 seconds remaining in the second half pulled the MIT men's basketball team within one point of host Salve Regina but a pair of late free throws helped the host Seahawks hang on for a 66-63 victory in NEWMAC action on Saturday afternoon at the Rodgers Recreation Center.  

THE BASICS:

• Score: Salve Regina 66, MIT 63 
• Records: Salve Regina 14-5 overall (7-3 NEWMAC); MIT 5-15 overall (1-10 NEWMAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Salve Regina built a ten-point first half lead when a three pointer from Jack McMullen at 12:00 gave the hosts a 19-9 advantage. 
• The Seahawks would lead by as many as 14 points in the first half, taking a 27-12 lead when Sean Seymour dropped in a layup at 7:19.  
• MIT countered with an 8-2 run to trim the Salve Regina lead to eight when a layup from Parker Spann made the score 29-21 at 3:23.  
• The Engineers would eventually cut the deficit to five, as seven straight points, capped by a three from Zhang at the 41 second mark, made the score 33-28 at the half.
• MIT outscored Salve Regina, 35-33, in the second half but could not find a way to take the lead over the final 20 minutes of play.
• The Engineers trimmed the deficit to one possession early in the half when Wyatt Mowery tipped in a Rome Delgado-Gonzalez miss to make the score 35-32. Salve Regina stretched its lead back to five but a three-pointer from Mowery at 14:05 again cut the deficit to two, 39-37.  
• MIT's two-point deficit was as close as the Engineers would come until the closing minutes of regulation. A layup from Delgado-Gonzalez moved MIT back within two at 2:23 but back-to-back Salve buckets pushed the lead back to six with 1:17 remaining. 
• Mowery was active at the basket again on the next MIT possession, putting back his own miss at the 48 second mark to make the score 64-60. 
• Pat Spenard missed the first half of a one-and-one following an MIT foul before Zhang hit a three on an inbounds play at the 30 second mark to make the score 64-63. 
• MIT got another chance inside the final seconds as the Seahawks again missed the first half of a one-and-one. Unfortunately, a jumper from Delgado-Gonzalez with 11 seconds to play was off the mark. 
• With MIT forced to foul, Seymour knocked down the final two of his game-high 26 points to put Salve Regina ahead 66-63. A last-second three from Zhang was off the mark as Salve Regina held on for the win.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Parker Spann had a game-high 16 points for MIT on 6-of-10 shooting, while Mowery totaled 15 points and eight rebounds for the Engineers.  
• Seymour was 9-of-15 from the field and 3-of-6 from the three-point line to lead Salve Regina. 
• MIT scored 16 points off 12 Salve Regina turnovers and also had the advantage in second chance points, 17-6.
• The Seahawks got out in transition, outscoring MIT 14-5 on the break.
• MIT shot 23-of-60 from the field (38.3%) while Salve Regina finished shooting 25-of-51 (49%) in the contest. 

UP NEXT: 

• MIT returns home to host Wheaton in NEWMAC play on Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM.  

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