Delaware Outlasts UNCW to Capture First CAA Title Since 2014
Rob Washburn
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 8, 2022) – Fifth-seeded Delaware went on a game-ending 6-0 run to rally past #2 UNCW, 59-55, and capture its first conference title since 2014 before a spirited crowd at the 2022 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship presented by Jersey Mike’s on Tuesday night at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
Delaware (22-12), which became the first No. 5 seed to ever win the CAA championship, earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history, but just the second in the past 23 years. UNCW fell to 23-9 after the setback.
UD freshman post player Jyare Davis scored a team-best 18 points and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Andrew Carr recorded his second double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Jameer Nelson, Jr. and Ryan Allen tallied 10 points apiece.
Senior guard Jaylen Sims poured in a team-high 18 points for UNCW and backcourt mate Mike Okauru chipped in 10 points.
In a hard-fought contest that featured 10 ties and seven lead changes, UNCW went on top, 55-53 on a Sims jumper with 2:30 remaining. Davis trimmed the deficit to one with a free throw and then put the Blue Hens ahead, 56-55, on a short jumper in the lane with 1:01 to go.
The Seahawks were unable to convert on a pair of field goal attempts and Carr grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 14 seconds remaining. Carr hit the first free throw and missed the second, but Ebby Asamoah was able to pull down the rebound and was fouled. The junior sank both free throws with 11 seconds to play to push the lead to four and the Seahawks misfired on a pair of shots in the waning seconds.
Delaware shot 39.3% from the floor, but grabbed 15 offensive rebounds that it turned into 16 second chance points. UNCW made 37% of its field goal attempts, but only 26.1% in the second half.
UNCW jumped out to an early 8-3 lead behind five points from Sims, but a three-pointer from Nelson, Jr. evened the contest at 8-8. The game was tied four more times over the next seven minutes before Jamahri Harvey’s trey gave the Seahawks their largest lead of the half, 30-24, with 3:38 to go. A rebound dunk from Carr brought Delaware within two, but Shykeim Phillips hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to give UNCW a 34-30 halftime edge. Carr tallied team-highs of 11 points and seven boards to pace UD in the first 20 minutes, while Okauru paced a balanced UNCW offense with eight points.
Trailing by seven early in the second half, Davis made back-to-back jumpers as part of a 6-0 run that trimmed the deficit to 39-38 with 16:07 on the clock. Kevin Anderson’s rebound bucket at the 8:44 mark put the Blue Hens on top, 44-43, for the first time since midway through the first half. Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.
Delaware became the second team in tournament history, and first since 1993, to defeat three higher-seeded teams on the way to the championship.
Davis was joined by Blue Hens’ teammates Carr and Anderson on the all-tournament team. UNCW was represented by Sims and Okauru and Charleston’s John Meeks rounded out the squad.
CAA All-Tournament Team
Kevin Anderson, Delaware
Andrew Carr, Delaware
Jyare Davis, Delaware
John Meeks, Charleston
Mike Okauru, UNCW
Jaylen Sims, UNCW
Most Outstanding Player: Jyare Davis, Delaware
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