No. 4 Wheaton 82, No. 1 WPI 60 – Final 

The top-seeded and host WPI men's basketball team was defeated in the semifinals in the 2026 NEWMAC Tournament, falling to fourth-seeded Wheaton 82-60 inside Harrington Auditorium on Friday.
 
The Lyons (16-10) advance to the NEWMAC title game for the third time in program history. They will face No. 2 Babson, a 78-58 winner over Salve Regina in Friday's other semifinal, on the road on Sunday, March 1. Wheaton, in its first semifinal appearance since 2007, will appear in the NEWMAC title game for the third time in school history, and the first time since 2005. Their previous appearances included losses to Babson (44-42) in 2002, and WPI (64-60) in 2005.

The Engineers (21-4), ranked 21st nationally in the D3hoops.com Top 25 and 25th in Friday's latest NCAA NPI rankings, will now await its postseason fate when NCAA selections are announced on Monday, March 2 at 1 pm on NCAA.com.
 
Wheaton placed four players in double figures and used a decisive second-half surge to upset WPI, which had won 27 consecutive meetings against the Lyons and 41 of the previous 45 matchups overall.
 
Wheaton senior Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) scored a game-high 25 points, going 7-of-13 from the floor and 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. Junior Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) added 24 points, six rebounds and seven steals, while senior Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) contributed 13 points and seven boards. Morrissey's free throw with 1:19 remaining marked his 1,000th career point, making him the 18th player in Wheaton program history to reach the milestone. Senior Sal Pedevillano (Parsippany, N.J.) chipped in eight points as the Lyons shot 54% from the field.
 
For WPI, junior Justin Molen (Newark, DE) paced the Engineers with 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Graduate student Tim Reidy (Needham, MA) added 10 points, while junior Nathan Bledsoe (San Antonio, TX) finished with nine points, knocking down three three-pointers. Freshman Ryan Vedovelli (West Springfield, MA) contributed eight points in a spirited effort off the bench for WPI.
 
The contest featured six ties and multiple lead changes in the opening 10 minutes before Wheaton created separation late in the first half. Iafrate scored on a pair of early drives and added a three-pointer, while Herry connected from deep as the Lyons built an early cushion.
 
WPI answered with threes from Bledsoe and Molen and a layup by senior Matt Morvillo (Bedford, Mass.) to draw even at 26-26. The Engineers later tied the game at 28-28 and again at 33-33 with 2:36 remaining, but Wheaton closed the half with six straight points. Herry converted two free throws, and Iafrate followed with a layup and a free throw to send the Lyons into the locker room ahead 39-33.
 
Up six to start the second half, the Lyons opened the frame on a 14-5 surge that pushed the margin into double digits for good. Iafrate accounted for multiple early baskets during the stretch and Herry added four points as Wheaton built a 47-36 lead. The advantage grew to 62-43 midway through the half and remained at least 15 points the rest of the way, with the Lyons extending the margin to as many as 22 before closing out the 82-60 victory.
 
Wheaton converted 20-of-24 free throws and held WPI to 40% shooting while forcing 15 turnovers. The Lyons also owned a 30-20 advantage in points in the paint and turned 12 steals into transition opportunities.
 
No. 3 Salve Regina 58, No. 2 Babson 78– Final 

Sophomore Timmy Mulvey (Reading, Mass.) led four players in double figures with 21 points as second-seeded Babson College defeated third-seeded Salve Regina University, 78-58, in a NEWMAC Tournament semifinal on Friday night inside Staake Gymnasium. 

With its eighth consecutive victory, Babson improves to 20-6 overall and advances to the NEWMAC Tournament final for the third time in the last four seasons. Salve Regina sees a terrific season come to a close at 19-8. 

First-year Thomas Ferdinando (Andover, Mass.) provided 17 points, nine rebounds, and six assists as sophomore Ryan Frauenheim (Manasquan, N.J.) scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and classmate Logan Murphy (Sandwich, Mass.) contributed 12 points for the Beavers. Senior Timmy O'Toole (Milton, Mass.) scored eight points and led all players with 16 rebounds in the win. 

Senior Sean Seymour (Albany, N.Y.) and junior Domenic Malvey (Newton, N.H.) both scored 13 points to lead the Seahawks. Sophomore William Mensah (Newburgh, N.Y.) added 11 points and tied for game-high honors with three steals in the loss. 

Salve Regina jumped out to a 7-0 edge and took its largest lead of the game at 18-10 on two free throws by Malvey with 10:31 to go in the first half. The margin was still six with just over eight minutes left before the Green and White used a 9-2 run that included four points by Mulvey to go in front 24-23 at the 5:45 mark. 

The lead changed hands five times over the next two minutes before the Beavers went on a 12-0 run keyed by seven consecutive points from Ferdinando to forge a 40-30 advantage in the closing seconds of the period. The Seahawks cut the deficit to nine twice early in the second half, but Babson scored on four of its first five possessions to stretch the margin to 50-36 on a layup by senior Tyler Lauder (Malvern, Pa.) with 16:59 remaining. 

Mensah went 1-of-2 at the free throw line to pull Salve Regina back within 54-43 at the 13:19 mark, but the Green and White followed with a 14-4 run to put the game away. O'Toole provided a pair of buckets in the paint, Mulvey scored five points, and Frauenheim splashed in a triple from the left wing to give the hosts their largest lead of the night at 68-47 with 8:27 left. 

The Beavers shot 55.2 percent in the second half and 50 percent from the field for the game while knocking down 12 three-pointers. They also scored 25 points off turnovers, 18 second-chance points, and finished with a 37-24 edge on the glass. The Seahawks shot 52.4 percent in the first half and 45.8 percent for the game, but were just 4-of-15 from beyond the arc and missed their final nine attempts. 

Babson will host fourth-seeded Wheaton, which upset top-seeded and 21st-ranked WPI 82-60 on Friday, in Sunday's NEWMAC Tournament final at 1 p.m. 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.