With a 10-5 record and a 2-2 start in conference play, the UNC Wilmington Seahawks men’s basketball team defeated the conference-leading William & Mary Tribe 97-94 in a contest that had to be decided in overtime.

Tied at 83 at the end of regulation, the Seahawks scored 14 points in the overtime period to take the victory. They were led in scoring by redshirt junior Denzel Ingram with 30 points, a season high for any UNCW player.

“It felt good,” Ingram said to UNCW Athletics. “The ball felt good. I had the confidence to knock it down, and my teammates were finding me in great spots.”

Ingram had the ball on UNCW’s final possession in regulation and took a contested step-back three-pointer. Despite not being on target, Ingram stated later that he felt like it was a shot he could make.

Down by one with 20 seconds remaining in overtime, freshman guard C.J. Bryce drove to the rim and scored. The basket gave the Seahawks the lead for good and cemented their first win in the last seven attempts against William & Mary.

“I didn’t want to settle for the shot,” said Bryce to UNCW Athletics, who finished the game with 20 points and two steals. “My whole mindset was to try to get to the rim and try to finish or get a foul.”

Although Bryce, only a freshman, was not fully accustomed to such a crucial late game situation, he did not hesitate to credit his teammates.

“Me and my teammates played a really good game on defense,” said Bryce to UNCW Athletics. “Denzel Ingram knocked down some clutch shots, Jordon [Talley] did a good job of running the offense, and it was a good game.”

That was on Jan. 16, and the win over a top team was a breath of fresh air for a UNCW squad that has already experienced its fair share of ups and downs in the last month. After starting off 5-0, the Seahawks went on a three-game losing streak that started at Georgetown University on Dec. 12.

UNCW followed the loss with road defeats at East Carolina and Radford. All three games were decided by five points or less. The two remaining losses came during conference plays against Northeastern and Towson.

Redshirt junior guard Chris Flemmings took a big leadership role on the court in his first season wearing a UNCW jersey. The transfer student from Barton College was named CAA Player of the Week on Jan. 18 and currently leads the team in scoring, rebounding and steals.

Flemmings continued his ongoing success against Delaware on Jan. 21 when he posted a double-double by tallying 17 points and collecting 12 rebounds.

“I’m really excited for Chris. He’s been our most consistent player thus far,” said head coach Kevin Keatts to UNCW Athletics, who is in his second year at the helm of the program.

Since their most recent loss, the Seahawks have reeled off four straight wins to bring their overall record to 13-5 and are currently in the thick of a six-team horse race for first place in the Colonial Athletic Association.