NASSAU, The Bahamas – It was déjà vu all over again for the UNCW men's basketball team, which led the NCAA Division I ranks with the most double-digit comeback wins during a memorable 27-9 season one year ago.
 
Chalk up the first one of 2022-23.
 
Fueled by the electric play of senior guard Shykeim Phillips and key contributions off the bench, the Seahawks punched their ticket to the title game of the Baha Mar Nassau Championship by rallying past Vermont, 68-66, on Saturday at the Baha Mar Convention Center.
 
The Seahawks increased their record to 4-3 on the young season heading into Sunday's championship game against North Texas of Conference USA, a 68-47 winner over Long Beach State late Saturday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
 
UNCW is seeking its 13^th in-season tournament championship and the second of Siddle's career after his 2021-22 club won the Asheville Mako Medical Classic in Asheville, N.C.
 
"We had a lot of fight and resilience," said Takayo Siddle, the reigning Coach of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association. "We never wavered. We just kept going. That's what our program is all about. We showed toughness and always believed.
 
"We didn't play worth a dang in the first half and the game was still within reach. We came out in the second half and kept hitting singles. We were able to close the gap and put some pressure on them. They started getting tired at the six-minute mark and our depth kicked in."
 
Phillips led all scorers in the contest with a season-high 22 points, including 14 after intermission. He went 7-for-14 from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Trazarien White worked around foul trouble to close with 10 points and shared team-high honors with five rebounds.
 
Fifth-year guard Dylan Penn paced the Catamounts of the America East Conference with 21 points, followed by fifth-year guard Robin Duncan with 13 and fifth-year guard Finn Sullivan and senior guard Aaron Deloney with 11 points each.
 
Similar to Friday's quarterfinal victory over Missouri State, the Seahawks struggled from the floor early and found themselves trailing, 33-23, at halftime. That's when Siddle called on the reliable Phillips, his developing bench and a suffocating defense to lift the Seahawks to their third consecutive win.
 
Vermont appeared to be holding firm over the first eight minutes of the final period before UNCW used a suffocating 16-0 run over a five-minute stretch to catch up with the veteran opponents. Down 51-37, the Seahawks finally got going behind a three-pointer by junior guard Donovan Newby in front of the team bench and recaptured the lead for the first time since 9:23 of the first half when White sank a pair of free throws with 7:24 remaining for a 53-51 edge.
 
UNCW wound up outscoring Vermont, 31-11, over the final 12 minutes and outscored the Catamounts, 45-33, in the final stanza to nail down the comeback victory.
 
The Seahawks, who shot a dismal 25 percent in the first half, rebounded by connecting on 50 percent after intermission and finished at 37.5 percent for the night. The UNCW bench contributed 22 points and provided several key moments in the stirring come-from-behind victory.
 
For the second straight day, the Seahawks struggled from the floor in the first 20 minutes and the Catamounts capitalized.
 
After senior forward Amari Kelly tossed in the second of two free throws with 9:23 left in the first period, Vermont took its first lead, 11-10, as Penn dropped in a pair of free throws.
 
The Seahawks kept it close and trailed just 15-13 after another free throw by Kelly, but scored 10 unanswered point to seize control. Duncan, who pocketed 11 points in the opening frame, did most of the damage, converting back-to-back conventional three-point plays on the left side of the basket at one point.
 
Vermont enjoyed its largest lead of the first half with 1:52 on the clock when Aaron Deloney sank a trey from the top of the key.
 
UNCW played most of the first half without White, the team's leading scorer, who was whistled for his second personal just 5:23 into the contest.
 
GAME NOTES: The Seahawks won for the first time in three tries vs. Vermont…Vermont owned a 36-25 rebounding edge…UNCW is 6-3 against current members of the America East Conference…Phillips made his 61^st career start…White scored one point in the first half due to foul issues…Each team fired in its first four field goal attempts of the final period…The Seahawks went 16-for-17 in the critical final half…Each club drained seven three-pointers…Junior guard Jahmari Harvey collected six points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench…A combined six players have at least four personal fouls in the contest.
 
2022 Baha Mar Nassau Championship Results/Schedule
 
Friday, Nov. 25, 2022
Game 1: Vermont 78, Ball State 73
Game 2: UNCW 68, Missouri State 54
Game 3: North Texas 69, San Jose State 54
Game 4: Long Beach State 77, Oakland 70
 
Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022
Game 5: Ball State 67, Missouri State 64
Game 6: San Jose State 80, Oakland, 67
Game 7: UNCW 68, Vermont 66
Game 8: North Texas 68, Long Beach State 47
 
Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022
Game 9: (Seventh place game): Missouri State vs. Oakland, Noon
Game 10: (Fifth place game): Vermont vs. Long Beach State, 2:30 p.m.
Game 11: (Consolation game): Ball State vs. San Jose State, 5:30 p.m.
Game 12: (Championship): UNCW vs. North Texas, 8:00 p.m.