UNC Wilmington defeats Drexel 65-53

UNC Wilmington Edges Out Drexel in Thrilling Conference Matchup

In front of a raucous Trask Coliseum crowd, the UNC Wilmington Seahawks took down visiting Drexel Dragons 65-53 on Saturday night, capturing a crucial conference victory.

The Seahawks got off to a strong start, outscoring their guests by seven points at halftime as they held a slim 27-22 lead. The home team's defense played a key role in this advantage, holding the Dragons to just 31% shooting from the field and forcing 11 turnovers.

In the second half, UNC Wilmington continued to build on its early momentum, increasing its lead to as many as 18 points at one point. Drexel refused to back down, however, chipping away at the deficit with a series of clutch three-pointers from Eli Beard.

Despite the Dragons' best efforts, they ultimately fell short, finishing with a final margin of 12 points.

For the Seahawks, standout forward Nolan Hodge led the charge, scoring 17 points on 60.0% shooting from the field and 1-2 from beyond the arc. Noah Ross chipped in with 11 rebounds and 11 points, while Greedy Williams added five assists and seven points off the bench.

On the other side of the court, Victor Panov led Drexel in rebounding with eight boards and eight points, while Kevon Vanderhorst contributed three assists and three points. Beard paced the Dragons' offense with 14 points on 45.5% shooting from the field.

The advanced statistics paint a more nuanced picture of the game's dynamics. The Seahawks shot 43.3% from the field and held a significant advantage in free throw rate (53.8%), while Drexel struggled to find its range, connecting on just 18.0% of their three-point attempts. UNC Wilmington also outrebounded their opponents 11-15 in the paint.

The win represents a crucial conference victory for the Seahawks, and marks a significant milestone in their season thus far. With this result, they move one step closer to securing a spot among the top teams in the conference standings.