Dunking into the New Year: A Thrilling Recap of CAA Men’s Basketball on January 2nd!

CAA Men’s Basketball Summary – Jan. 2

1/2/2025 10:29:05 PM

Rob Washburn

The initial complete night of conference competitions in CAA men’s basketball showcased an overtime spectacle and two matches concluded with a three-point margin.

Towson 65, UNCW 61 (ot)

Box Score

Tyler Tejada contributed six of his team-leading 21 points during overtime as Towson (6-8, 1-0 CAA) secured a 65-61 victory on the road against UNCW (10-4, 0-1 CAA).

In a match that experienced 12 ties and nine changes in leadership, UNCW surged ahead 56-49 following a Harlan Obioha three-point play with 3:46 remaining in regulation. Consecutive three-pointers from Tejada and Dylan Williamson narrowed the gap to one and a couple of free throws from Tejada sent the game into overtime tied at 57-57. In the extra period, a dunk by Tomiwa Sulaiman with 32 seconds remaining put Towson ahead by two, and Tejada secured the victory with two successful free throws. Obioha led UNCW with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Donovan Newby added 17 points.

Campbell 57, Drexel 54

Box Score

Colby Duggan achieved a double-double with team-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Jason Sinani contributed 14 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 57 seconds remaining, guiding Campbell (6-8, 1-0 CAA) to a narrow win over Drexel (8-6, 0-1 CAA), 57-54.

This closely contested game featured 17 lead changes, with the Dragons taking the lead 53-52 on a Cole Hargrove dunk with 2:10 left. Following Sinani’s three-pointer that placed the Camels ahead by two, Drexel’s Yame Butler went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, cutting the deficit to one with 12 seconds left. Cam Gregory converted two free throws with nine seconds remaining to put Campbell up by three, and a game-tying three-point attempt by Drexel’s Kobe MaGee fell short at the buzzer. MaGee concluded with 15 points, while Hargrove contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.

Northeastern 80, Delaware 77

Box Score

Rashad King dominated the game with 27 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and three steals as Northeastern (9-5, 1-0 CAA) narrowly defeated Delaware (7-7, 0-1 CAA), 80-77.

The Huskies established a 15-point lead early in the second half and maintained an eight-point advantage with under five minutes remaining before the Blue Hens rallied with an 11-2 run to take a 77-76 lead on a John Camden free throw with 1:37 on the clock. King converted a pair of free throws to restore Northeastern’s edge and then sealed the win with two additional free throws after Delaware missed a shot in the paint with three seconds remaining. Masai Troutman added 19 points for Northeastern, while Camden led five Blue Hens in double digits with 21 points and eight rebounds.

William & Mary 74, Hofstra 56

Box Score

William & Mary (7-7, 1-0 CAA) hit 10 three-pointers in the first half, establishing a 30-point lead, ultimately defeating Hofstra (8-6, 0-1 CAA), 74-56, marking its first road victory of the season.

Fueled by three three-pointers each from substitutes Matteus Case (15 points) and Kyle Frazier (12 points), the Tribe surged ahead 48-18 with 2:40 remaining in the first half. Hofstra responded with a 9-0 run to end the half and reduced the margin to 15 with 9:47 remaining, but W&M quickly regained separation. Shooting 52.1% overall and 12-of-21 from three, the Tribe also benefitted from 12 points and eight rebounds from Noah Collier. The Pride’s leading scorer was Jaquan Sanders, who finished with 15 points.

Monmouth 78, Stony Brook 56

Box Score

Abdi Bashir, Jr. converted 7-of-10 from long distance for a total of 31 points as Monmouth (3-11, 1-0 CAA) defeated Stony Brook (4-10, 0-1 CAA), 78-56.

The Hawks displayed a shooting percentage of 54.9% while making 10-of-19 from beyond the arc, amassing a 37-25 lead at halftime and maintaining a double-digit advantage throughout the second half. In addition to Bashir’s impressive performance, Jack Collins contributed nine points and seven rebounds for Monmouth. Stony Brook struggled, shooting only 32.8%, getting 15 points from Joe Octave and 12 from Nick Woodard off the bench.

Charleston 94, Hampton 67

Box Score

Derrin Boyd sunk six three-pointers to achieve a career-high 26 points while Ante Brzovic added 21 points and nine rebounds as Charleston (11-3, 1-0 CAA) comfortably beat Hampton (8-6, 1-1 CAA) by a score of 94-67.

The Cougars led 42-35 at halftime and received back-to-back three-pointers from Boyd to initiate a commanding second half, during which they outscored the Pirates by 20. CofC hit 12-of-25 from three over the game, while their defense limited the Pirates to just nine field goals in the second half. Hampton, which had its five-game winning streak halted, received 22 points from freshman Daniel Johnson off the bench and 14 from George Beale, Jr.

Elon 75, North Carolina A&T 67

Box Score

All five starters for Elon posted double-digit scoring, led by 19 points from TJ Simpkins, as the Phoenix (10-4, 1-0 CAA) secured a 75-67 road triumph against North Carolina A&T (4-11, 0-2 CAA).

Elon established a 45-34 lead at halftime, but the Aggies narrowed the score to 65-62 after a couple of free throws by Ryan Forrest with 6:14 remaining. However, Simpkins responded with five consecutive points, keeping the Aggies at bay for the remainder of the match. Matthew Van Komen achieved a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks for Elon. A&T saw Landon Glasper score 22 points and Nikolaos Chitikoudis contribute a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds.