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sims_post
Joe Browning/UNCWsports.com
77
James Madison JMU 15-12,6-10 CAA
78
Winner UNCW UNCW 19-8,13-3 CAA
James Madison JMU
15-12,6-10 CAA
77
Final
78
UNCW UNCW
19-8,13-3 CAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
James Madison JMU 37 34 6 77
UNCW UNCW 39 32 7 78

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Browning

Seahawks Edge Dukes In Epic Home Finale

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Drawing up the same blueprint it has used all season, the UNCW men's basketball team rallied from nine points down with under five minutes remaining to force overtime and then climbed on the shoulders of freshman Trazarien White for a 78-77 victory over James Madison late Saturday night at Trask Coliseum.
 
The Seahawks upped their record to 19-8 overall and 13-3 in the CAA. The Dukes dropped to 15-12 and 6-10 after splitting their southern trip.
 
Coupled with Towson's 80-77 win earlier in the day at Charleston, the Seahawks remained atop the CAA standings by a half game. The Tigers stand 21-7 overall and 12-3 in the loop.
 
Senior guard Jaylen Sims led all scorers with 24 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double. White added 17 points and 11 board for his first career double-double, graduate guard Mike Okauru collected 15 points and junior guard Shykeim Phillips had 10.
 
Redshirt junior guard Vado Morse paced three Dukes in double figures with 17 points. Reserve forward Alonzo Sule came off the bench to chip in 14 points and redshirt freshman forward Justin Amadi finished with 11 points and seven boards.
 
"It was game with a lot of drama and back and forth," said Takayo Siddle, UNCW's second-year head coach. "Our guys made some adjustments and we started picking our spots. We found some creases and created some scoring opportunities. I thought both teams really deserved to win and I'm glad we came out with it."
 
After rallying to force an extra session before a sellout crowd, the Seahawks jumped ahead early in OT before the Dukes reeled off six unanswered points over 2:21 stretch, capped by a Charles Falden bucket in the lane with 6.6 seconds left to give the Dukes a 77-76 edge.
 
Each team called a full timeout, bringing Trask to a crescendo. White, who scored 16 points in the first meeting between the two clubs, then took a pass from Sims, drove the lane was fouled. The Mansfield, Texas, product calmly knocked down both free throws with 0.6 seconds on the clock to nail down the win for the Seahawks.

JMU led by nine points with 4:20 left in regulation, but failed to score for the remainder of the period as UNCW caught up. Sims carried the load, scoring seven points in the spurt, including a game-tying layup with nine seconds on the clock. A game-winning attempt by the Morse was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.
 
The Seahawks, operating against a zone defense for much of the night, scored the first five points in OT to grab a 76-71 edge before Morse drained a pair of free throws with 2:28 on the clock to narrow the lead to 76-73. Sule then made a jumper in the paint and Falden converted a shot in traffic to give the Dukes the lead briefly, 77-76.
 
The Dukes scored eight of the first 10 points of the second half to stay ahead, 45-41. No more than six points separated the two teams until the five-minute mark when JMU took off.
 
Phillips tossed in a pair of free throws to close the deficit to 62-60 with 8:46 left, but JMU used a 9-2 mini-run to gain some breathing room. Terrence Edwards made a hook shot in the paint to start the spurt and Morse's long triple from the top of the key made it, 71-62, in favor of the Dukes.
 
JMU got off to a strong start and led by as many as eight points early before the Seahawks regrouped to take a 39-37 lead at intermission.
 
Trailing 32-23 after a Sule bucket inside, the Seahawks closed the gap to 34-32 after a free throw by Jaylen Fornes and finally took the lead in the first half, 37-35, on a conventional three-point play by Sims. White's basketball from close range with 44 seconds left gave the Seahawks a 39-37 edge at the break.
 
The game featured a 19-minute delay with 8:46 remaining when a fracas occurred near the Seahawk bench. Three Seahawks – Fornes, Amari Kelly and Jamarii Thomas – were ejected and two Dukes – Amadi and Julien Wooden – were disqualified.
 
The contest was UNCW's second straight overtime game. UNCW remained perfect in OT this season, reeling off its fourth straight sudden death victory against no losses.
 
It was Senior Night at Trask Coliseum and the Seahawks retired the jersey of all-time leading rebounder Devontae Cacok at halftime.
 
GAME NOTES: UNCW scored the last nine points of regulation and the first five points of overtime for a 14-0 run over the span…UNCW had five dunks in the contest…The Seahawks led for eight minutes of the contest…The two teams combined for 92 points in the paint…UNCW outrebounded JMU, 40-38…The Seahawks finished with a 12-2 record at home…UNCW owns a 43-37 edge in the series…UNCW stands 23-13 against JMU in Wilmington…UNCW won the initial meeting between the two rivals, 71-70, on Jan. 20, 2022, in Harrisonburg…Former Seahawk great Mark Byington, now with JMU, was making his debut at Trask Coliseum as a head coach.



 
 
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