UNCW Wins 2022 CBI Championship in Double Overtime with 10th Double-Digit Comeback
Miles McQuiggan
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2022) – The UNCW men’s basketball program finished its 2021-22 season in fitting fashion, as the Seahawks put together their 10
th double-digit comeback of the season – the most of any team in the nation – and defeated Middle Tennessee, 96-90, in double overtime to win the 2022 Roman College Basketball Invitational.
UNCW trailed by 11 in the second half before working its way back and eventually tying the game with 0.3 seconds remaining in regulation on two free throws from senior
Jaylen Sims that knotted the contest at 70. The teams would score 11 points each in the first extra session and UNCW would take the lead for good with 28 seconds left in double overtime after three straight points from
Mike Okauru. The Seahawks would close out the victory with three free throws from
Khadim Samb and two from Okauru.
Okauru and Sims each scored 28 points for UNCW, while
Jaylen Fornes chipped in with 19. The Seahawks limited themselves to just five turnovers in 50 minutes.
UNCW defeated VMI, 93-78, in Sunday’s first round before continuing its run of dramatic comebacks in Monday’s quarterfinal. The Seahawks defeated Drake, 76-75, by erasing a 22-point deficit to score the game-winner from
Jaylen Sims with 4.3 seconds remaining. UNCW would advance to Tuesday night’s semifinal and build a double-digit lead of its own and coast to 80-64 victory over Northern Colorado.
UNCW is the second CAA team to win the CBI in the event’s 14-season history. VCU captured the title in 2010 with wins over George Washington, Charleston, Boston University, and two victories over Saint Louis.
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