WICHITA, Kansas – The No. 14 seed UNCW men's basketball team fell in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, 82-72, to No. 3 seed Texas Tech late Thursday night at Intrust Bank Arena.
The Red Raiders (26-8) advance to the NCAA Second Round, where they will play No. 11 seed Drake on Saturday. The 2025 Coastal Athletic Association Champion Seahawks (27-8) conclude their memorable season tied for the second most wins in program history and a CAA record seventh league tournament title.
UNCW's Nolan Hodge paced the Seahawks with 18 points, three off his career-high, to go with seven rebounds and Bo Montgomery added 10 points, his 13th double-digit scoring effort this season. Sean Moore and Harlan Obioha tied the Seahawk game-high with nine rebounds.
Texas Tech's Kerwin Walton paced all scorers with 27 points, including eight of the Red Raiders' 13 made three-pointers. Elijah Hawkins finished a rebound shy of a triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds while Darrion William contributed 13 points and nine boards. Second-Team All-American JT Toppin produced a double-double of 12 points and pulled in 11 off the glass.
The Seahawks, who owned a narrow 42-41 advantage on the boards, began to overcome a 16-point point first-half deficit by outscoring the Red Raiders 15-3 over the final 5:39 before halftime to trail 38-34 at the break. UNCW scored seven of the first 10 points in the second half to tie the game, 41-41, with 17:38 to play.
The teams traded the lead five times over the next four-and-a-half minutes before a Hodge jumper in the paint tied it again, 50-all, at the 12:55 mark. Walton then drained a three and Toppin followed with a jumper to put Texas Tech up five.
UNCW kept the score within five before a 14-5 Red Raider run pushed the lead back out to double-digits with under three minutes to play.
The Seahawks and Red Raiders met for the second time ever and first since the 2002-03 season opener in Lubbock, Texas. UNCW appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since going to back-to-back Big Dances in 2016 and 2017.
