WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Playing in her final home game, senior forward
Carol-Anne Obusek registered a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds as UNCW closed the regular season with a 75-65 Colonial Athletic Association victory over Towson at Trask Coliseum on Friday evening.
The Seahawks, who end the regular season with three wins in their final four games, upped their record to 6-13 overall and 3-10 in the CAA. Towson, meanwhile, dropped to 13-8 overall and 8-6 in the circuit.
One of two UNCW players honored on Senior Night, Obusek was nearly perfect from the field after making 9-of-10 attempts in addition to going 5-for-8 from the free throw line. The Cary, N.C., product matched her career scoring high, which she set in Thursday's loss against the Tigers, while posting her 11th double-double of the year.
Junior guard
Za'Nautica Downs came off the bench to score 20 points after making 6-of-14 shots from the floor, including a 5-for-10 showing from long range, to go with 3-of-4 free throws.
Freshman guard
Mary McMillan chipped in 11 points with four assists and three rebounds while freshman guard
Taylor Webster nearly added a double-double with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Towson, which lost for the third time in the last four games, was led by redshirt senior guard
Kionna Jeter's 19 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard
Skye Williams tallied 13 points while freshman forward
Allie Kubek just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine boards.
Key Moment: After the teams battled to an 11-11 tie in the opening quarter, UNCW erupted for 29 points in the second quarter to take a 40-26 lead at the intermission. The Seahawks shot 83.3 percent (10-for-12) from the field in the period as Downs led the charge with 10 points.
Game Notes:
- UNCW ended a four-game losing streak against Towson while improving to 25-14 all-time against the Tigers … The Seahawks are also 14-5 at home in the series.
- After being outrebounded in Thursday night's loss, the Seahawks held the advantage on the glass with a 46-41 edge on Friday night … It is the eighth time this year UNCW has outrebounded its opponent.
- The Seahawks shot a season-high 51.9 percent from the field, including an impressive 60.0 percent in the first half … It is the first time UNCW has shot 50 percent or better from the field since Feb. 23, 2020, against Charleston (.519, 28-54).
- UNCW scored a season-high 75 points in the win over Towson, marking the first time the Seahawks have hit the 70-point plateau since a 74-point output against Charleston on Feb. 23, 2020.
- Obusek and Downs became the first pair of UNCW teammates to reach the 20-point mark in the same game since Lacey Suggs and GiGi Smith against South Carolina State on Nov. 16, 2019.
- Obusek has recorded a double-double in nine of her last 10 games … She enters the CAA Championship ranked second in the league with 11 double-double efforts.
- Obusek has scored 20 or more points in three consecutive games, giving her four 20-point efforts this season … She has also scored in double figures in 17-of-18 games this year.
- Obusek is averaging 12.8 rebounds over the last five games with at least 10 caroms in each contest.
- Downs reached the 20-point mark for the fourth time this year and has scored in double figures in 12 of her last 13 games.
- Webster posted her fourth double-digit rebounding game of the season … She also became the first player other than Obusek to lead the Seahawks in rebounds since her 10-rebound game against Mercer on Dec. 29, 2020.
- Senior guard Abby Ward made the first start of her college career and played three minutes.
Up Next: UNCW begins the 2021 CAA Women's Basketball Championship presented by Sonabank on Wednesday, Mar. 10, with a first round contest against Charleston at 2:30 p.m. inside Elon University's Schar Center.
