Courtesy: Joe Browning UNC Wilmington shot 52.9 percent from the floor Sunday in a 72-62 victory over Hofstra at Trask Coliseum
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Sophomore Brittany Blackwell posted a game-high
21 points and UNC Wilmington shot a blistering 52.9 percent to race past
visiting Hofstra, 72-62, in Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball
action Sunday at Trask Coliseum.
The Seahawks, signaling Breast Cancer Awareness through a
“Pink Zone” event, evened their record at 12-12 overall on the season and
improved to 6-7 in the CAA. The Pride dropped to 14-10 overall and slipped to
6-7 in league play.
Blackwell was joined in double figures by junior Greta Luksyte,
who chipped in 11 points. Sophomore Martha White pitched nine points and junior
Candace Walker added eight. Blackwell also grabbed a game-high eight caroms to help
the Seahawks enjoy a 33-27 advantage on the glass as White pulled down six
rebounds.
Senior Niki Williams notched 16 points to lead three Pride
players in double figures as freshman Joelle Connelly pitched in 15 and junior Sam
Brigham chipped in 12. Junior Jess Fuller grabbed a team-best seven rebounds and
Connelly added five caroms.
Trailing 6-5 midway through the first half, a layup from
Blackwell ignited a 9-2 run over a two-minute span that gave the Seahawks a
14-8 lead. Blackwell scored the first six points of the spurt before Luksyte
closed out the run with a three-pointer from the left side.
The two teams then proceeded to trade baskets until a
free-throw by sophomore Sheronda McLean in the final 10 seconds of the opening
frame started an 11-4 Seahawks run that extended to the 15:48 mark of the
second half and gave UNCW its first double-digit lead of the game, 40-26.
The Pride scored seven of the next nine points to cut the Seahawks
advantage to 42-33 when UNCW responded with a 17-7 run over a 5:27 span to
build its largest lead of the game, 61-42, with 5:20 remaining.
Hofstra made one last push, as a layup by Fripp led to a
15-5 run that got the Pride within nine, 66-57, with 42 second on the clock. The
two teams exchanged baskets through the final buzzer as the Seahawks hit all
six of their free-throw attempts and the Pride scored
in two of its final three possessions on a layup by Connelly and a
three-pointer by Williams to determine the 10-point margin of victory for UNCW.
Both teams return to CAA action Thursday. Hofstra hosts Old
Dominion at Noon while UNCW is at James Madison in a 7 p.m. tip-off.
NOTES: The
Seahawks improved to 6-2 all-time against the Pride at Trask Coliseum ... The
game featured just one tie and three lead changes ... UNCW enjoyed a 44-32
advantage in points in the paint and a 16-6 edge in points off the bench ...The
Seahawks .529 field goal percentage marked just the second time this season that
the team has made more than 50 percent of its attempts from the floor ... UNCW
recorded double-digit steals for the second time in as many games and the 12 time
this season with 13 swipes ... The
Seahawks 17 assists were one off their season-high ... Three players (Blackwell,
White and sophomore Sheronda McLean) all dished out four assists ... Blackwell
and Walker both recorded game-highs of four steals.
Courtesy: Joe Browning
