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UNC Wilmington Athletics

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fornes_elon_020322
65
UNCW UNCW 15-6,9-1 CAA
78
Winner Elon Elon 7-16,4-6 CAA
UNCW UNCW
15-6,9-1 CAA
65
Final
78
Elon Elon
7-16,4-6 CAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNCW UNCW 31 34 65
Elon Elon 31 47 78

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Browning

No. 13 Unlucky For Seahawks At Elon

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The number 13 is, indeed, unlucky after all.
 
Elon shot 59.6 percent from the floor, including a blistering 75 percent in the second half, to snap UNCW's 12-game winning streak on Thursday night, 78-65, in a Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball tilt at the Schar Center.
 
The Seahawks, opening a three-game road trip, put up their lowest point total in 13 games and now stand 15-6 overall and 9-1 in conference play. Elon is 7-17 and 4-6. It was UNCW's third loss in as many trips to the Schar Center.
 
"I thought we were completely out of character tonight," said Takayo Siddle, UNCW's second-year head coach. "I felt that way as I was watching the game. We were out of character on both ends of the floor. They packed it in really tight with certain guys and forced us to try to beat them over the top.
 
"We bought into what they were trying to make us do. We were out of sync and didn't execute. Our guys got caught up in the moment, I guess."
 
Sophomore guard Darius Burford continued his recent mastery of the Seahawks. After scoring 23 points each in his first meetings against UNCW, the lightning-quick guard exploded for a season-high 27 points on 13-of-17 shooting on Thursday, many from close range.
 
"We couldn't stop No. 12. He was the best player on the floor tonight," said Siddle.
 
Junior guard Hunter McIntosh added 17 points and sophomore forward Michael Graham finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Phoenix, which avenged a 73-66 loss to the Seahawks on Jan. 12 at Trask Coliseum.
 
Senior guard Jaylen Sims pumped in 18 points and Mike Okauru and James Baker, Jr., collected 12 apiece for the Seahawks.
 
After battling to a 31-all draw in the first 20 minutes, the two teams traded buckets for the first five minutes of the final period before the Phoenix used a 12-0 run to break out.
 
With the Seahawks on top, 45-41, following a jumper on the right elbow by Sims with 15:09 remaining, the Phoenix responded with 12 unanswered points to gain some breathing room. Graham dropped in a pair of free throws to start the spurt and Burford capped it with a basket on the left side with 8:24 left that staked the Phoenix to a 53-45 advantage.
 
The Seahawks closed the gap to 61-59 on a three-pointer by Sims with 4:32 on the clock, but Elon outscored UNCW, 17-7, over the final four minutes to hand the Seahawks their first loss since Dec. 11, 2021 at Jacksonville.
 
Both teams struggled out of the gate before the Seahawks, who started out 4-of-16 from the field, carved out a seven-point advantage. Junior guard Shykeim Phillips popped in a basket on the left wing to give UNCW an 11-4 lead at 12:20.
 
Elon responded with a 10-2 run to grab a 17-15 edge on Graham's tip-in at 6:07 and then registered its largest led of the half, 21-17, when Burford raced in for a driving layup at the 4:59 mark of the opening period.
 
The two teams went into intermission tied at 31-all when Okauru banked in a runner with 42 seconds left in the first half.

UNCW continues its three-game roadie on Saturday with a 4 p.m. tip against William & Mary at Kaplan Arena.
 
GAME NOTES: The all-time series is tied at 14-all…The Seahawks are 6-4 on the road this season…The Seahawks are 8-8 against Elon since the Phoenix joined the league in 2014-15…UNCW stands 1-4 against Elon's Mike Schrage…The Phoenix won the rebounding battle, 34-26…Elon outscored UNCW in the second half, 47-34…The Seahawks shot 34.4 percent in the first half and 34.6 percent in the second period…Elon scored 44 points in the paint…There were seven lead changes and nine ties in the contest…UNCW went 9-of-30 from long distance…The Seahawks converted 16-of-18 free throws...The loss was the first against a North Carolina opponent this season for the Seahawks, who had beaten Guilford, Mount Olive, High Point, Campbell and Elon.

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