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UNC Wilmington Athletics

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defense_cu
John Crouch
58
Campbell Campb 7-4,0-0 Big South
65
Winner UNCW UNCW 6-5,0-0 CAA
Campbell Campb
7-4,0-0 Big South
58
Final
65
UNCW UNCW
6-5,0-0 CAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Campbell Campb 31 27 58
UNCW UNCW 31 34 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Browning

Seahawks Get Over The Hump In Matinee

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW started and ended with a flourish to win its third in a row with a 65-58 men's basketball victory over longtime rival Campbell early Wednesday at Trask Coliseum.
 
The Seahawks, kicking off a three-game home stand, tied a bow on their non-conference schedule at 6-5 heading into the opener of an 18-game Colonial Athletic Association slate next Wednesday, Dec. 29, vs. Delaware.
 
The Camels dropped to 7-4 after losing their second straight game and falling to 3-3 away from orange-clad Gore Arena this season. UNCW has now won 26 of the 28 meetings between the two clubs at Trask Coliseum since the initial matchup in the 5,200-seat venue on Dec. 7, 1977.
 
Senior guard Jaylen Sims of UNCW poured in a season high 23 points – six off his career high – to headline all scorers in the contest. He made 8-of-13 field goals and all five of his free throws and added five rebounds in an all-around effort. Senior guard Mike Okauru was the only other Seahawk in double figures with 17 points.
 
Senior guard Austin McCullough paced three Camels in double figures with 15 points. Senior guard Jordan Whitfield chipped in 13 and senior guard Ricky Clemons wound up with 11.
 
"We did a very good job of getting off to a fast start," said second-year UNCW Head Coach Takayo Siddle. "We let our foot off the gas medal a little bit and they were able to close the gap when we relaxed a little bit on defense.
 
"I challenged our guys to raise their energy level. We kept clawing and kept fighting, which is what this team is about. Our guys finished strong, so I'm very proud of my group."
 
Most of the previous matchups between the two eastern North Carolina rivals have been tightly contested and the 107th meeting was no different. Colliding in a noon tip, the two teams locked up in another classic, battling to a 31-all draw at intermission and finishing with eight lead changes and eight ties.
 
The result was still in doubt with four minutes remaining after the versatile Okauru wiped out a seven-point Campbell lead with seven points of his own in a 9-0 spurt that gave the Seahawks a 56-53 edge with 3:50 left to play. Okauru bucketed 15 of his 17 points in the decisive second half.
 
The Camels wouldn't go away, however, and responded with five consecutive points, including a putback by Clemons at 1:44 for a 58-56 advantage. It was Campbell's final lead before everything went UNCW's way in the last minute and a half.
 
Okauru turned in one of the biggest plays of the contest with a driving basket and subsequent free throw as UNCW regained the lead for good, 59-58, with 1:30 on the clock.
 
The Camels then had an untimely shot clock violation and Seahawk junior guard Shykeim made them pay with a steal and both free throws of a bonus situation to increase the margin to 61-58 with 27 seconds left.
 
The Seahawks gained more breathing room on the next Campbell possession by forcing a turnover on the other end of the floor. Okauru converted both ends of a bonus opportunity to extend the lead to 63-58 with 17 seconds showing and sophomore guard Jamahri Harvey capped off the home win in style with a dunk as time expired.
 
In the first half, UNCW, behind Sims, bolted out to a 23-12 cushion at the 8:05 mark on an old fashioned three-point play by Sims before the Campbell erased the lead with seven straight points. Reserve forward Milos Stajcic provided good minutes off the bench as the Camels took their first lead of the game with 15 seconds left in the opening period.
 
The defensive-minded Seahawks held the Camels to 38 percent shooting, the fourth lowest by an opponent in 2021-22.
 
GAME NOTES: The Seahawks lead the all-time series, 63-44…Takayo Siddle moved to 2-0 against the Camels…The Seahawks are 3-2 in December…The Seahawks are 18-7 against the Camels in December…UNCW is 4-0 against in-state teams this season (Guilford, Mount Olive, High Point, Campbell)….The Seahawks won the rebounding battle, 35-29…Both clubs made six three-pointers…UNCW outscored CU, 34-27, in the second half…Both teams had 11 turnovers…Mike Okauru and Jaylen Sims each went 5-for-5 at the charity stripe…Attendance for the matinee was 2,378.


 
 
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