After the first full week of CAA play, the UNCW men’s basketball team’s formula for the season took shape. Play strong defense, get key baskets and gut out a win.

It worked in the first two games of a three-game homestand. The Seahawks topped William & Mary, 67-59 and Drexel, 71-64.

“I think our year of having 25-point halftime leads and coasting in the second half, I don’t think that’s going to happen this year,” coach Brad Brownell said after the Seahawks’ win over Drexel on Jan. 10. “There are so many teams that are so close. Look at every score, and it’s very close. Occasionally a home team will win going away. I think most games are going to be single-digit games every night.”

The template fit the game against the Dragons. The Seahawks held Drexel to 26 first-half points, and though the visitors got hot in the second half, UNCW held the Dragons’ leading scorer, forward Sean Brooks, to seven points.

“Before the game, and throughout the practices throughout the week, coach told us how hard Brooks played and our whole goal was to front him,” sophomore forward Mitch Laue said. “And we … A.T. (Anthony Terrell), Aaron (Combs), everyone that was in there just battled as hard as possible. We did our job as good as we could today.”

Heading into CAA play, Brownell was looking for go-to players on offense. Against Drexel and William & Mary, the Seahawks didn’t feature one dominating athlete but got key baskets at key moments from key players.

Against William & Mary, a trio of jump shots by junior guard Halston Lane forced the Tribe out of a zone defense that shut down the Seahawk attack. Drexel rallied to tie UNCW, 57-57 with 3:21 left. Anthony Terrell answered with a quick basket off a John Goldsberry feed and a pair of free throws to help the Seahawks retake the lead. After another Dragon rally cut the lead to two with 19 seconds remaining, Terrell answered with a dunk and then three free throws for the win.

“I think it’s been the story through the whole year. We haven’t been able to establish, get a 10-point team and cannot extend it,” Goldsberry said. “That’s the kind of team we are this year. We’re gritty, we’re tough and we may win all the games by five points.

“So obviously, we want to get to that point where we extend the lead, not make it a close game. The fans like it. … (But) playing tight games it’s going to help us down the road.”