Sims Lifts UNCW to 12th CAA Final With 26-Point Double-Double
Rob Washburn
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2022) – Senior guard Jaylen Sims scored a game-high 26 points to lift second-seeded UNCW past #6 Charleston, 60-57, in an intense semifinal battle at the 2022 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship presented by Jersey Mike’s on Monday night at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
The victory sends UNCW (23-8) into the CAA championship game for the first time since 2017, where the Seahawks will face fifth-seeded Delaware for the conference title at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Charleston drops to 17-15 in the defeat.
Sims, who was 5-of-7 from 3-point range, also grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Mike Okauru added 11 points and UNCW got eight points apiece from Trazarien White and Amari Kelly.
Guard Dimitrius Underwood poured in 21 points on 10-of-20 FG shooting and snared eight rebounds for Charleston. Raekwon Horton posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards and John Meeks chipped in eight points.
UNCW got off to a sizzling start as Sims and White combined for all of the Seahawks’ points in an 11-2 spurt during the game’s opening five minutes. However, UNCW would hit just one field goal over the next nine minutes and Charleston climbed back, tying the contest at 18-18 on a Meeks trey with 5:46 left in the half. Sims, who tallied 15 first-half points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, drained a pair of treys in the final 2:07 to put UNCW up 28-26 at the break.
The second half was a back-and-forth clash, with neither team holding more than a four-point edge over the final 20 minutes. Charleston went on top for the first time in the game, 35-34, on a Horton layup, with 15:53 left. Over the next seven minutes, the teams exchanged the lead seven times and were tied on three occasions, including at 48 all following a Horton three-pointer with 8:15 to go.
Meeks made a jumper with 6:16 remaining that put the Cougars ahead 52-48, but UNCW responded with six straight points and took a 54-52 edge on Shykeim Phillips’ bucket with 3:23 on the clock. Clinging to a 58-57 advantage, the Seahawks missed a jumper with 19 seconds left, giving the Cougars a final chance to regain the lead. However, Meeks was whistled for an offensive foul on a drive into the paint with 2.4 seconds on the clock. Sims pushed the lead to three with two free throws with 2.1 seconds left and UNCW deflected the final inbounds pass as time expired.
UNCW will make its 12th appearance in the finals on Tuesday night and will attempt to claim its seventh CAA championship, which would be the most in league history.
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