CAA Men’s Basketball Recap – March 1, 2026
Dylan Smith
Charleston 79, UNCW 76
Box Score
After trailing by as many as 15, Jlynn Counter scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half and helped Charleston (21-10, 14-4 CAA) orchestrate a valiant 79-76 victory over UNCW (25-5, 14-3 CAA). The Cougars’ top scorer went 6-for-11 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, while dishing out seven assists in the win. Chris Davis Jr. put forth a 17-point, five-rebound effort, seeing three of his six makes go down from distance. Connor Hickman rounded out those in double figures with 10 points. Following Sunday’s win, Charleston will ride a five-game winning streak into the postseason. The Seahawks’ Nolan Hodge knocked down four 3-pointers en route to a 15-point showing, while Patrick Wessler notched his league-leading 15
th double-double with 11 points and 16 boards.
Charleston’s Colby Duggan hit a pair of early treys to help his team secure an 8-2 edge. Christian May sparked a 19-4 scoring spree with a make from distance, helping the Seahawks secure a 21-12 lead with eight minutes to play in the opening frame. Jahnathan Lamothe and Hodge eventually made it a double-digit advantage, 29-17, as the duo connected on a trio of trifectas to force a Charleston timeout. UNCW carried a 35-23 lead into halftime.
The two teams traded blows early in the second frame until Counter rattled off eight points on a 15-5 run that brought the Cougars to within four, 46-42, at the 13:40 mark. Davis brought CofC to within three following treys on back-to-back possessions. The Seahawks’ Greedy Williams quickly retaliated with a triple of his own to reclaim a six-point cushion. Counter continued to pester the Seahawks defense, rattling off six straight points for the Cougars before Hickman knocked down a trey to make it a two-point game, 63-61, with under four minutes to play. Davis and Hickman finished off the comeback and the team’s 12-1 run at 2:34 to put Charleston ahead, 67-64, for the first time since the 15:36 mark of the opening frame. A furious finish ensued as both sides battled through contact to complete a plethora of three-point plays. Hodge nailed a trey with under two seconds to play, pulling the Seahawks to within one, 77-76. After a pair of free throws made by Hickman, UNCW’s May put up a final heave and nearly watched it fall through, only for it to rattle around the rim and out.