WILMINGTON, N.C. – Ali Zelaya scored a game-high 19 points and hauled in seven rebounds, while Taylor Henderson added 16 points and nine rebounds as UNCW never trailed and held on late to defeat Campbell, 67-61, in the Coastal Athletic Association opener in women's basketball action at Trask Coliseum on Friday night. 

Zelaya tallied her career-high in points, shooting 8-of-15 from the field while making all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. Henderson had an efficient night from the field, shooting 7-of-11. Evan Miller added 13 points with a strong effort in the second half. 

UNCW starts 1-0 in conference play for the first time since 2020. The Seahawks shot nearly 47% from the floor and held Campbell under 35% from the field and under 30% from three-point distance. UNCW enjoyed a 28-22 advantage in points in the paint and out-rebounded the Camels 41-36.

Jania Hall chipped in with seven points and four assists, Kate Hollifield filled up the stat sheet with six points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Isis Fitch added six points in ten minutes. In her first career start, freshman Tia Dobson grabbed a career-high seven rebounds.

UNCW controlled the action from the opening tip by scoring eight unanswered points in the first 87 seconds of play, prompting Campbell to take a timeout. UNCW extended the lead to 10-0 after the first five minutes and held a 17-10 lead after the first quarter. Five different Seahawks scored in the quarter and UNCW held Campbell to shooting 4-of-17 from the floor. Zelaya led UNCW with seven points, while Henderson added six. Both players shot 3-of-3 from the floor in the opening quarter. 

After both teams traded baskets for most of the second quarter, UNCW extended the lead to double digits again with two and half minutes to play in the opening half on a mid-range jumper from Fitch. Campbell rallied back to cut the deficit to four, but Hollifield responded with a key three-pointer with 26 seconds left in the half to give the Seahawks a 36-29 lead at the break. UNCW shot 15-of-28 (54%) in the first half and held a 22-15 advantage in rebounds and an 18-8 advantage in the points in the paint. Zelaya and Henderson led all players at the half with 11 points. 

The Seahawks started the first five minutes of the third quarter on an 11-4 run increasing their lead to 14, their largest of the game. Campbell charged back to cut the deficit to four by hitting six of their last eight shots. The Camels made two three-pointers to end the third quarter on a 7-0 run over the last minute and a half to trim the Seahawks' lead to 53-49. Evan Miller tallied eight points in the quarter for UNCW, shooting four-of-five from the field in the period.

The fourth quarter was low-scoring and action-packed. Campbell came within 56-54 with 6:22 to play. The Seahawks responded well, increasing the lead to double-digits (66-56) on a three-pointer from Hall with 3:13 left in the game. UNCW did not score another field goal, but the Seahawks held on down the stretch with strong defensive play to secure the victory. 

UP NEXT

UNCW women's basketball returns to Trask Coliseum at 1 p.m. on Sunday against Towson. The Seahawks have the upper hand in the all-time series 25-18. UNCW is 14-7 all-time against Towson in games played in Trask Coliseum. Towson won both meetings a season ago. The game will be streamed on FloCollege. 95.9 The Breeze will be carrying the audio stream. Links can be found at UNCWSports.com/coverage.