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MBB v. Drexel
John Crouch
63
Drexel Drexel 9-10,4-5 CAA
70
Winner UNCW UNCW 15-5,9-0 CAA
Drexel Drexel
9-10,4-5 CAA
63
Final
70
UNCW UNCW
15-5,9-0 CAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Drexel Drexel 37 26 63
UNCW UNCW 32 38 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Browning

Seahawks Make History With 12th Straight Victory

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW's never-say-die men's basketball team made more history on Monday night, dumping Drexel, 70-63, and setting a school record with its 12th consecutive win before 4,310 raucous fans at Trask Coliseum.
 
The Seahawks, who stormed back from an 18-point first-half deficit, improved to 15-5 overall and remained unbeaten in the Colonial Athletic Association with a perfect 9-0 record. The Dragons lost their second in a row and stand 9-10 and 4-5.
 
Head Coach Takayo Siddle's club posted the first perfect record in January in school history, sweeping eight games this month, and matching the 2016-17 team for the best start in CAA play since the Seahawks the league in 1984-85.
 
"I never thought we were out of it. Not with this group…never," said Siddle. "I'm extremely proud of these guys. Our guys did what they usually do. They battled through adversity and never gave up. I'm speechless.
 
"It was a great crowd and we couldn't have done it without them. Drexel came out ready to play and came out with a purpose. We were down big. The crowd gave us energy, they gave us life."
 
Senior guard Jaylen Sims continued his stellar play, leading all scorers with 19 points and adding five rebounds and three assists. Graduate guard Mike Okauru pumped in 16 points, graduate guard James Baker, Jr., collected 11 points and eight rebounds and junior guard Shykeim Phillips finished with 10.
 
Senior guard Coltrane Washington scored 14 points of his points in the first half and graduate guard Melik Martin pitched in 12 points for the Dragons, who shot 58.3 percent in the first half and 38.5 percent after intermission. The Seahawks held CAA Preseason Player of the Year pick Camren Wynter to eight points on just 2-of-12 shooting.
 
The Seahawks met the Dragons for the first time since March 7, 2020, and the length gap didn't keep the two clubs from putting on a show.
 
The upset-minded Dragons were clinging to a 41-34 lead with 18:32 remaining on a floater by Wynter, but the Seahawks chipped away and grabbed their first lead since the 17:07 mark of the first half when the versatile Sims converted a transition layup at 9:08.
 
The Dragons battled back to regain the advantage, 59-58, on a conventional three-point play by Martin with 5:18 on the clock, but it was all UNCW down the stretch. The Seahawks outscored the Dragons, 12-4, over the final five minutes to complete the comeback, highlighted by a clutch triple by graduate guard Jaylen Fornes with 3:42 showing that put UNCW on top for good, 61-59, at 4:54.
 
The Seahawks have now rallied from double-digit deficits in six of their nine conference outings this season. UNCW has registered the largest comeback for UNCW in the Siddle Era in back-to-back contests.
 
UNCW forced 19 Drexel turnovers and scored 29 points off those miscues. Eleven of those turnovers came in the second half when the Seahawks finally caught up.
 
The Dragons came out firing in the opening 20 minutes, bolting out to an 18-point cushion before settling for a 37-32 halftime advantage after the Seahawks rallied in the final six minutes of the first period.
 
Leading 17-11, the Dragons used a 14-2 spurt to roll to a 31-13 margin with 6:15 left in the first half. Washington was the primary catalyst, scoring 14 points behind four three-pointers during the span. Drexel canned seven straight shots at one point in the spurt.
 
Facing an 18-point deficit, the Seahawks came alive over the final six minutes of the frame. Okauru opened the rally with a drive in the paint and Sims connected on a jumper at the free throw line to bring the Seahawks within four, 33-29, with 1:52 left in the first stanza.
 
The Dragons answered, however, on buckets by Wynter – his first basket of the game – and Butler to get the margin back to 37-29 and then took a five-point lead into the break when Sims drained a trifecta with 26 seconds on the clock.
 
The Seahawks head back on the road this week, kicking off a three-game trip away from home on Thursday with a 7 p.m. test at Elon. UNCW then plays at William and Mary and Hofstra to round out the swing.
 
GAME NOTES: UNCW has won its last six games by an average of 4.83 ppg…The Seahawks outscored the Dragons in the second half, 38-26…UNCW committed just six turnovers…The Seahawks are a perfect 12-0 when scoring at least 70 points…UNCW placed at least four men in double digits for the eighth time in 20 games…UNCW had the edge in fast break points, 13-0…The Seahawks lead the 37-game series, 22-15…UNCW stands 9-1 at home this season…The Dragons are 3-6 on the road…UNCW is 11-8 vs. Drexel in January…UNCW is 7-3 against DU's Zach Spiker…There were seven lead changes and three ties.



 
 
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