Coach Buzz Peterson and the UNCW men’s basketball team have tried every way they know how to break their 13-game losing streak that dates back to December 15. As the streak reached historic levels before Wednesday’s game against the William & Mary Tribe, the team was still looking for answers, even going so far as to change their pre-game meals. Unfortunately, they’ll likely look to make changes again, as the Seahawks fell to the Tribe 54-50 at Trask Coliseum.

After the game, Peterson remained confident that the team would find a way to win soon.

“We can’t bear our heads,” Peterson said, “We have to keep working hard and we have to believe we’re gonna win one of these games.”

The Seahawks (6-18, 0-9 CAA) had their hands full with the CAA leading scorer Marcus Thornton (19.8 ppg) in town. Thornton came into this game on a tear, averaging 24.3 points over his last four games while shooting 60% from behind the arc.

While Thornton finished with 19 points, the Seahawks were able to keep the rest of the Tribe in check. Despite leading the CAA in FG% and 3PT %, the rest of the Tribe (14-8, 6-3 CAA) combined to shoot 38% and 24%, respectively, for the game. However, the Seahawks ’offense simply was not able to find any rhythm. This was especially true in the first half, as the Seahawks were held to just 17 points on 30% shooting and had trouble creating quality shots. UNCW made only eight field goals in the first frame, none of which were assisted on.

The second half was a different story. The Seahawks nearly doubled their first half point total while and shot 42% from 3-point range. UNCW was able to cut it to three with under a minute to go, but ultimately fell short—something the Seahawks have been all too familiar with recently. Frustration among the players was visible; guard Ben Eblen pulled his jersey over his head in disappointment after the buzzer sounded. Four of their last six losses have come by five points or less.

Forward Shane Reybold expressed his frustrations over the fact that the team seemed to keep finding new ways to lose.

“Against Delaware, our offense was pretty good,” Reybold said, “but our defense let us down. We have to figure out how to put both of them together.”

“I think it’s the same thing—we’re always close. We just have to start finishing games out,” Seahawk guard Craig Ponder said after the game.  Ponder had seven points and zero turnovers in 21 minutes off the bench.

Peterson expressed regret that the team couldn’t finish it out, and pointed to their struggles in the beginning of the game as the ultimate demise.

“We should’ve capitalized,” Peterson said, referring to some shots the Seahawks missed early on.  “I don’t know if I’ve ever coached a game where we’ve missed so many layups.”

Though UNCW has struggled mightily with their three-point shooting throughout the year, senior Tanner Milson was able to use the long distance attack to single-handedly bring the Seahawks back in the game.

Milson credited his teammates for the run as well. “It got to a point, where me and Addison looked at each other and said ‘We have to start scoring.’ It wasn’t just one guy—it was a collective effort.”

 After Marcus Thornton hit a jumper to put the Tribe up 13, Milson scored all 11 of his points in less than three minutes to cut the lead to six with 8:22 remaining.

“It was nice to see somebody get hot,” Peterson said of Milson. Tribe Coach Tony Shaver joked afterwards, “I was about ready to get off the bench and guard him myself.”

The loss secures a losing record in the conference for the Seahawks, and leaves them still searching for their first conference win. But Shaver saw enough to convince him they would find success soon.

“They’re a talented ball club,” he said. “They’ll get over the hump at some point.”

The Seahawks’ next chance to do that will be in New York against the Hofstra Pride.