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MBB Vs. Hofstra
John Crouch
72
Hofstra Hof 13-8,5-3 CAA
78
Winner UNCW UNCW 14-5,8-0 CAA
Hofstra Hof
13-8,5-3 CAA
72
Final
78
UNCW UNCW
14-5,8-0 CAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Hofstra Hof 40 32 72
UNCW UNCW 34 44 78

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Browning

Seahawks Rally Again In CAA Prize Fight

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – In a battle of Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball heavyweights, UNCW delivered the knockout punch in the second half to match the school record with its 11th straight victory, 78-72, on Saturday night at Trask Coliseum.
 
The Seahawks, playing four games in eight days, improved to 14-5 overall and remained unbeaten in the CAA with a perfect 8-0 record. The Pride had its four-game winning streak go by the wayside and stands 13-8 and 5-3.
 
"It was a special night," second-year head coach Takayo Siddle said of his team, which rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to move to 8-1 at home this season. "It was an unbelievable night. I don't think we could have done it without our fans. They provided so much energy for our guys.
 
"I told the guys it was going to be a heavyweight championship fight. Give Hofstra a lot of credit. They put a lot of pressure on us in the first half. They made us guard. I explained to the guys at halftime that if we wanted to win, we had to take a stand on defense and that's exactly what we did."
 
Graduate guard Mike Okauru anchored five players in double figures with a game-high 19 points, including 13 in an explosive second half. Sophomore guard Jahmari Harvey chipped in 14 points – 12 in the first period – and senior guard Jaylen Sims and junior guard Shykeim Phillips pitched in 12 and 10. Sims also had five rebounds and a game-high six assists on the night.
 
Graduate guard James Baker contributed nine points, six rebounds and a season-high four blocks in an all-round game for the Seahawks, who closed out the win despite deep foul problems in the final 10 minutes.
 
Junior guard Aaron Estrada, the CAA's leading scorer, paced four Hofstra players in double digits with 17 points. Graduate guard Zach Cooks collected 15 points, Sophomore guard Darlingstone Dubar added 12 and graduate guard Jalen Ray finished with 11 for the Pride.
 
Equaling the record set by the 2015-16 club en route to the CAA championship, the Seahawks held the Pride to 35.7 percent shooting in the critical final period and without a field goal during a seven-minute stretch late in the contest to remain atop the league standings. UNCW has not lost in 47 days dating back to a setback at Jacksonville on Dec. 11, 2021.
 
The Seahawks, down by 15 points midway through the first period, have now rallied from double-digit deficits in five of their eight conference games this season. It was the largest comeback for UNCW in the Siddle Era.
 
With Hofstra on top, 68-67, following Dubar's bucket in the paint, the Seahawks regained the lead for good when Fornes drained a three-pointer deep in the right corner to lift UNCW to a 70-68 edge with 1:59 showing. The timely three-ball started a 7-0 mini-run that gave the Seahawks breathing room and was part of an 18-4 spurt over the last two minutes for the home team.
 
As it's done throughout the streak, the Seahawks sealed the win with 6-of-8 at the free throw line in the final 41 seconds. UNCW went 16-of-21 at the charity stripe on the night.
 
The Pride bolted out to an 8-0 start behind Estrada and connected on seven of their first 13 field goals to carve out a 19-5 cushion. Cooks made a basket with 12:46 on the clock and the lead ballooned to 14 points.
 
Hofstra recorded its largest lead of the first half, 22-7, on the next possession when Omar Silverio dropped in three free throws after being foul attempting a three-pointer.
 
Still trailing 30-17 in the first period, the Seahawks used an 8-0 run to climb back into it. Baker started the spurt with a layup and a three-pointer by Harvey, his second of the opening period, close the deficit to 30-25 at 5:02.
 
Buckets by Cooks and Estrada got the lead back up to 34-25 before the Pride took a 40-34 lead into intermission.
 
The Seahawks conclude a three-game home stand on Monday with a 7 p.m. tip-off against Drexel at Trask Coliseum.
 
GAME NOTES: There were nine lead changes in the second half…UNCW's first lead of the game didn't come until the 15:43 mark when Okauru sank a three-pointer on the right wing…Sims has reached double figures in 10 straight games…The teams combined for 49 personal fouls…Baker did not miss a shot in four field goal attempts…The Seahawks had 10 treys, one shy of their season high…Hofstra shot 57.5 percent in the first 20 minutes and 35.7 percent after the break…The Pride went 3-of-18 from long distance...UNCW finished with nine turnovers, marking the fifth time in eight conference games under 10 miscues…The Seahawks had seven blocks…Attendance was a season-best 4,206 fans.




 
 
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