After losing out on an opportunity to clinch the regular season title outright on Feb. 25, UNC Wilmington men’s basketball team had one last chance to win a second straight Colonial Athletic Association championship when it hosted the Towson Tigers for senior day.

Three Seahawks played their final game in Trask Coliseum on Saturday. The three included redshirt senior Craig Ponder, who set the all-time record for game appearances at UNCW, graduate student Dylan Sherwood, and senior Kevin Hickson.

Sentiments aside, the Seahawks were facing a team that gave them their second biggest loss of the season during the first week of January. A tough loss to Hofstra a few days prior had the Seahawks reeling, but not enough to keep them from pulling out a 74-68 victory.

Head coach Kevin Keatts, whose team clinched a share of the CAA title for the second straight year, praised his team’s play.

“I think we did a tremendous job today, especially after the tough loss on Thursday [vs. Hofstra],” said Keatts. “For them to get back in the right mindset to play the game and have the chance to beat a very good, talented team that makes you work for every basket, I thought our guys did a tremendous job.”

UNCW shot 49 percent from the floor in a tightly contested game that saw the Seahawks at a substantial size disadvantage. In response, Marcus Bryan had his best showing of the season. The redshirt sophomore forward from Raleigh, NC scored 14 points and collected six rebounds in a well rounded effort.

Sherwood also added 14 points of his own to tie for the team high.

“It meant a lot,” said Sherwood. “This year I’ve been up and down a little bit and struggled with my shot, but the coaches kept me confident and working every day outside of practice. To play like I did tonight on senior night, you know, you kind of dream of that stuff, so it’s a great feeling.”

A struggle that plagued the Seahawks all season long was in fact the most important factor during the game. UNCW hit 88 percent of its shots from the foul line, including its first 14. Bryan, who missed a pair of vital free throws in the final minute against Hofstra, made 4-5 freebies in Saturday’s contest.

Ponder finished with seven points and two rebounds in 34 minutes of play. As a leader for UNCW both on and off the court, he received the loudest ovation of all during the pregame ceremonies.

“It’s indescribable,” said Ponder. “This guy to the right [Sherwood] and I have been through so much here, in this gym, and this program and to go out back-to-back years at the top of the conference is just something we’ve always dreamed of.”

As they clinched the second seed in the CAA Basketball Tournament on March 4-7, the Seahawks will take a week off to prepare and travel to Baltimore, MD and attempt to capture a title that has eluded them since 2006. They will face either the Delaware Blue Hens or the Charleston Cougars in the second round on March 5.