The UNCW Seahawks claimed another victory over the College of Charleston Cougars in an electric matchup between the coastal rivals. A sold-out Trask Coliseum was a sea of school colors at the annual teal-out game and was packed with students, alumni and fans of both teams. A line of students circled Trask with hopes of securing their spot in the student section. Student athletes of UNCW’s swim and dive team also showed out to support our basketball team in this intense rivalry game.
The Seahawks started the game with a bang, keeping the audience on their feet after gaining a 10-point lead only 10 minutes into the first half. They held a 46-35 lead at the end of the first half, and halftime was entertained by stunts from the UNCW cheerleaders and a dance from the dance team, the Hawtie Hawks, who gave a dynamic performance. The energy going into the second half was exhilarating and a double-digit lead powered the Seahawks to a 22 point win (86-66).
This victory was the second of the season against Charleston for the Seahawks; the first being on Jan. 23 in an away game at TD Arena where the victor was decided by just two points (85-83). Graduate student Bo Montgomery, redshirt junior Khamari McGriff and junior Harlan Obioha led the team by each scoring 16 points. Junior Charleston player AJ Smith was the highest scorer for the Cougars with four other players scoring at least 10 points. Fifth-year Head Coach, Takayo Siddle, made his fourth win against Charleston in a row, seventh overall as UNCW head coach. This was also Siddle’s 100th career win while head coaching the Seahawks.
UNCW sits in second place in the CAA conference with four games left in the regular season after a loss to Elon on Feb. 15. For more information about the UNCW Men’s Basketball team and schedule, visit their website or social media @uncwbasketball
