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HIGHLIGHTS | PRESS CONFERENCE – UNCW | PRESS CONFERENCE – CHARLESTON | SIGHTS & SOUNDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Second-seeded UNCW went on a 6-0 run over the final two minutes and fought past No. 3 Charleston, 68-67, in the semifinals of the Jersey Mike’s CAA Men’s Basketball Championship on Monday night at CareFirst Arena.
The Seahawks (26-7) advance to the CAA championship game for the third time in the past four years, where they will face No. 12 Delaware at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Charleston, which captured the past two CAA titles, slipped to 24-9 after the setback.
Graduate guard Donovan Newby led UNCW with 24 points and Khamari McGriff chipped in 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. For Charleston, guard Derrin Boyd scored 15 of his team-high 18 points in the second half, while CJ Fulton contributed 12 points, five assists and three steals.
With UNCW trailing 64-61, Newby canned a pair of free throws with 1:56 to go and then drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key that put the Seahawks ahead, 66-64 with 1:12 remaining. The Cougars had several opportunities down the stretch but missed a three-point attempt and two free throws before the Seahawks’ Nolan Hodge forced a turnover with six seconds left. UNCW’s Bo Montgomery sealed the win by hitting two free throws with 3.9 seconds on the clock. Charleston added a three as time expired.
The two rivals staged a back-and-forth battle through the opening 15 minutes, with neither team leading by more than four. Charleston trailed just 28-27 following an Ante Brzovic layup with 4:43 to go in the half when UNCW caught fire. Hodge started a 12-0 Seahawks’ spurt with a jumper and added a pair of three-pointers, including one with 19 seconds on the clock, to put UNCW up 40-27. A Fulton trey right before the buzzer made it 40-30 at the half.
The Cougars rattled off five quick points to open the second half and closed to within 47-45 on a Brzovic three with 14:58 remaining. UNCW pushed its advantage back to seven, 52-45, on a Harlan Obioha layup, but the Cougars regained their momentum quickly. Back-to-back treys from Deywilk Tavarez and Boyd capped a 10-0 run that gave Charleston a 55-52 lead with 5:59 left. Newby tied the contest at 55-55 on a trey 19 seconds later and it remained a one-possession game until the game’s closing sequence.
UNCW will be looking to win a league-record seventh CAA championship and its first since capturing back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. The Seahawks and Delaware met in the 2022 finals, with the Blue Hens picking up a 59-55 victory.
Tuesday’s championship game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan and Pete Gillen on the call and Brandon Baylor providing sideline analysis. Westwood One will also produce a national radio broadcast with Steve Lappas and Geoff Arnold on the call. Fans can listen in by clicking here.