UNCW advanced to Thursday's quarterfinals with a 58-47 victory over Towson.
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PHILADELPHIA (March 7, 2018) – No. 8 Seed
UNCW opened up an early lead and held off ninth-seeded Towson, 58-47, in the opening round of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Basketball Championship at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on the campus of Drexel University.
The Seahawks move on to the quarterfinals to take on top-seeded Drexel on Thursday at 12:00 p.m., the first of four quarterfinals games tomorrow at the DAC.
Towson (9-21) scored the first field goal of the game, but UNCW (12-18) went on an early 7-0 run to take a 9-2 lead. The Seahawks would not trail again in the contest. UNCW led, 15-8, at the end of the first due mainly to its defense. Towson committed six turnovers in the first quarters and was just 3-for-16 from the field in the opening 10 minutes.
UNCW’s lead swelled to 22-8 early in the second quarter after a
Timber Tate bucket. That would be the last points for the Seahawks for a span of more than five and a half minutes as Towson went on an 11-0 run to get back in the game. UNCW closed the half by scoring the last five points as the Seahawks maintained a 29-22 lead at intermission.
The Tigers trimmed the deficit to single digits by the end of the third quarter and stayed within striking distance the rest of the game. UNCW’s lead shrunk to just five after a
Mary Cuevas lay-up made it 45-40. The Seahawks responded by scoring seven of the next nine points to extend the lead and hold on for the win.
Redshirt senior
Jenny DeGraaf led UNCW with 15 points. The senior was 11-for-13 from the free-throw line and added eight rebounds.
Lacey Suggs chipped in with 14 points. The Seahawks sealed the victory from the line. UNCW made just 17 field goals in the contest, but went 15-for-18 from the line in the second half and finished at 81 percent from the charity stripe in the game.
Diamond Willis came up big on the defensive end, picking up five of the Seahawks’ nine steals in the game.
Cuevas had a double-double for the Tigers. The senior had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Danielle Durjan led Towson with 15 points.