Heartbreak on the Gridiron: Seahawks Fall Short in Overtime Thriller of CAA Opener

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men’s basketball squad suffered a close 65-61 overtime defeat to Towson in the Coastal Athletic Association opener for both teams on Thursday evening at Trask Coliseum.

The Tigers (6-8, 1-0 CAA) outscored the Seahawks (10-4, 0-1 CAA) 8-4 in the extra session after the two teams exchanged the lead nine times with 12 ties throughout regulation.

UNCW’s Harlan Obioha recorded his second consecutive double-double with season-highs of 18 points and 13 rebounds. Donovan Newby earned 17 points and equaled his career-high with seven assists while Joshua Corbin’s 11 points marked his third consecutive game in double-digit scoring.

Preseason All-CAA First-Teamer Tyler Tejada led all scorers with 21 points while Christian May also reached double digits with 10 points alongside eight rebounds.

The Seahawks established a double-digit advantage twice in the first half following a pair of three-pointers from Newby, but Towson fought back with a 13-0 run late in the second half. A 7-2 UNCW surge over the last 2:47 of the first half left the score tied at 29 at intermission.

Neither team led by more than seven points in the second half which wrapped up even at 57-57, pushing the contest into overtime where the Tigers finished strong with the last six points of the game.

UNCW will face off against Campbell on Saturday at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES: Both teams recorded shooting percentages below 40 percent from the field (Towson – 35.2 percent, UNCW – 33.9 percent) … UNCW was out-rebounded for the third time this season … This loss halted a six-game winning streak at home … Obioha scored 12 points in the second half … The Seahawks had a slight rebounding edge over the Tigers, 20-19, in the second half … The game was tied for 12 minutes … It marked UNCW’s third-highest attendance this season (4,719) … This was the Seahawks’ first overtime match this season and their third game decided by fewer than five points.