UNC Wilmington defeats NC A&T 78-87
UNC Wilmington Edges NC A&T in Thrilling Conference Clash
The Corbett Sports Center was electric on Tuesday night as the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) visited the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT) for a crucial conference matchup. The Seahawks emerged victorious, 87-78, in a back-and-forth contest that saw both teams battle for every possession.
At halftime, NCAT held a slim lead, 47-42, but UNCW would not be denied in the second half. The Seahawks rallied behind a balanced attack, outscoring the Aggies 45-31 to take control of the game. With just over five minutes remaining, UNCW stretched its lead to nine points, setting up the final stretch.
For NCAT, Lewis Walker led the charge with 23 points, including four three-pointers. Will Felton chipped in seven rebounds and seven points, while Dwayne Pierce contributed four assists and 18 points of his own.
On the other side, Nolan Hodge was unstoppable for UNCW, scoring 24 points on five-for-nine shooting from beyond the arc. Gavin Walsh provided a strong supporting act with 11 points and ten rebounds. Greedy Williams orchestrated the Seahawks' offense, dishing out six assists and adding 19 points of his own.
The advanced statistics told a story of two teams that struggled to contain each other. NCAT's effective field goal percentage (eFG%) was just 50.0%, while UNCW's was a respectable 52.6%. The Seahawks' true shooting percentage (60.1%) and free throw rate (61.4%) were both impressive, highlighting their ability to score efficiently.
The game's flow was dictated by the teams' inability to contain each other's offenses. Both sides committed turnovers at a high rate, with NCAT's turnover ratio sitting at 10.5 and UNCW's at 16.2. However, it was the Seahawks who capitalized on these mistakes, outscoring the Aggies in points off turnovers by three.
In the end, UNCW's balanced attack proved to be too much for NCAT to handle. The Seahawks' victory marked a significant conference win, and they will look to build momentum heading into their next matchup. For NCAT, the loss serves as a reminder that they must continue to work on containing opposing teams' potent offenses if they hope to achieve success in the competitive conference standings.