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tolefree_brian_cofc
72
Winner UNCW UNCW 7-15, 2-7 CAA
70
Col. of Charleston COFC 12-9, 6-3 CAA
Winner
UNCW UNCW
7-15, 2-7 CAA
72
Final
70
Col. of Charleston COFC
12-9, 6-3 CAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNCW UNCW 32 40 72
Col. of Charleston COFC 36 34 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Browning

Seahawks Stun Cougars At TD Arena

CHARLESTON, South Carolina – If the other nine members of the Colonial Athletic Association haven't taken notice, they will now.
 
Sparked by a game-high 17 points from freshman guard Shykeim Phillips and a stellar defensive performance, the UNCW men's basketball team stunned host Charleston, 72-70, early Saturday as both teams tied a bow on the first half of the conference schedule at TD Arena.
 
It was the second straight upset for the resurgent Seahawks, who knocked off Northeastern, 76-74, in overtime last Saturday. UNCW is now 2-1 since interim head coach Rob Burke took over the reins of the six-time CAA champions 13 days ago.
 
The Seahawks won their second in a row and improved to 7-15 overall and 2-7 in the circuit with the complete effort. Charleston, which entered the day in second place in the CAA standings, stands 12-9 and 6-3.
 
"What an amazing night," said an exhausted Burke. "We had to swing first and then stay in there and fight. We had to be warriors. It was not easy. We knew it was going to be a grind it out deal.
 
"They have a great team. We're playing with a lot of emotion and a lot of spirit. We have to get better on our execution and discipline. Our kids got knocked down, but kept getting up and fighting. What a great day for UNCW basketball."
 
Phillips, the composed rookie from Winterville, N.C., carried the Seahawks early, scoring 10 points in the first half, and was complemented by junior guard Ty Gadsden and sophomore guard Jaylen Sims down the stretch. Gadsden finished with 16 points and sank 5-of-6 crucial free throws in the final 10 seconds, while Sims contributed 13 points and went 7-for-10 at the free throw line in the contest.        
 
UNCW's defense was stellar, holding CofC standouts Grant Riller and Brevin Galloway to a combined 8-for-25 and 3-of-16 behind the arc. Riller paced four Cougars in double figures with 16 points, while Galloway added 12 and Jaylen McManus and DeAngelo Epps wound up with 10 apiece.
 
Charleston managed just 25-of-72 field goals for 34.7 percent and a chilly 6-for-33 from long distance. UNCW outscored CofC, 40-34, in the second half to cap the come-from-behind win.
 
UNCW trailed at halftime, 36-32, and used a 14-2 run over a 3:40 stretch to build a five-point edge midway through the final period. Gadsden's four-point play with 14:20 remaining gave the Seahawks a 49-44 advantage – their largest lead of the game.
 
Charleston was still down, 61-57, with just under five minutes left when the Cougars put together a 7-0 mini-run to retake the lead, 64-61, on a Galloway free throw with 2:41 on the clock.
 
UNCW forward Marten Linssen scored on a layup to close the deficit to one point, 64-63, and the Seahawks then went 9-for-12 at the charity stripe in the final 35 seconds to nail down their first true road victory of the season.
 
The Seahawks jumped on top early behind Phillips before the Cougars rallied in the final six minutes of the first half to grab a 36-32 lead at intermission.
 
Phillips, the reigning CAA Rookie-of-the-Week, paced all scorers with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the first 20 minutes and his conventional three-point play with 5:14 left in the first half brought the Seahawks to within 26-24 of the Cougars.
 
The Seahawks stayed within striking distance until CofC gained separation with six straight points near the three-minute mark. Epps sank a layup, Brendan Tucker converted another layup and Osinachi Smart's putback with 1:43 left extended the margin to 36-28.
 
UNCW's Mike Okauru scored the final four points of the opening half to help the Seahawks close the gap to four points in a competitive first half.
 
The Seahawks return home briefly before departing mid-week for a two-game swing to Towson (Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m.) and James Madison (Saturday, Feb. 1, 4 p.m.). UNCW's next home appearance is Thursday, Feb. 6, when Elon visits Trask Coliseum for a rematch.
 
GAME NOTES: Charleston leads the all-time series, 15-14, but UNCW owns a 4-3 advantage at TD Arena…The two clubs meet again on Feb. 22 at Trask Coliseum…The Seahawks are 6-8 against CofC in Charleston through the years…UNCW is 2-4 in afternoon tips this year…UNCW is 2-9 away from home this season…Charleston won the battle of the boards, 47-39…The Seahawks committed just seven turnovers…There were five ties and 11 lead changes in the contest…Sims scored his 13 points off the bench as Gadsden made his first start of the campaign.


 
 
 
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