Seahawks drop CAA championship to Delaware

UNCW led by 1 with 1 minute left, but couldn't finish on last possession

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – In the nation’s capital, UNCW looked to cement one of its best seasons in recent history with an NCAA tournament birth via a CAA Championship.

UNCW led 55-44 with one minute left in the game, and after a Delaware score in the post, the Seahawks missed two shots on the final possession.

Read more from UNCW below:

Fifth-seeded Delaware used a late surge to knock off No. 2 UNCW, 59-55, on Tuesday night in the championship game of the 2022 CAA Men’s Basketball Tournament presented by Jersey Mike’s at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.

The Blue Hens, 22-12, completed a stirring run to their second CAA title after pulling off upsets over No. 4 Drexel, No. 1 Towson and No. 2 UNCW. Delaware punched its ticket to the NCAA’s Big Dance by becoming the first No. 5 seed in history to win the postseason affair.

Freshman guard Jyare Davis, the league’s Rookie of the Year, was named the event’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 18 points and grabbing five rebounds in Tuesday’s championship game. Sophomore forward Andrew Carr had a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds, while junior guard Jameer Nelson, Jr., and graduate guard Ryan Allen collected 10 points apiece.

Senior guard Jaylen Sims led the way for the Seahawks again with 18 points. Graduate guard Mike Okauru was the only other UNCW player in double figures with 10 points.

Delaware was making only its second appearance in the championship after taking the title in 2014. The Blue Hens, who joined the CAA in 2001-02, won their seventh league crown across five different conferences.

“The ball just didn’t bounce our way,” said Takayo Siddle, UNCW’s second-year head coach and the 2022 CAA Coach of the Year. “I thought we executed what we were trying to do. We got good looks. They just didn’t drop.

“Give Delaware a lot of credit. I thought they made a few more plays than we did. We fought hard. It bounced a few more times their way than it did for us. Overall, I think the program is in a very good place and headed in the right direction.”

The league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament hung in the balance with two minutes left when the Blue Hens rallied to seize control.

After Sims scored a basket with 2:27 remaining to give the Seahawks a 55-53 edge, Davis dropped in a free throw and added a bucket over James Baker, Jr., at the one-minute mark to help the Blue Hens regain the lead, 56-55.

The Seahawks struggled offensively down the stretch, however, making just 4-of-21 field goals in the final minutes, opening the door for the opportunistic Blue Hens.

Carr sank a free throw with 14 seconds on the clock to increase the score to 57-55 and Ebby Asamoah closed the door with a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left for the 59-55 final.

UNCW shot 45.2 percent from the floor in the first half, but cooled off to 26.1 percent (6-of-23) after the break. Delaware, meanwhile, converted 44 percent after intermission and wound up at just 39.3 percent for the game.

UNCW jumped ahead at halftime, 30-24, after holding the Blue Hens to 35.5 percent shooting in the first half. Carr helped the lower seeds stay within striking distance with 11 points and seven rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

The Seahawks got off to a strong start for the second straight game behind Sims, who scored five quick points as UNCW grabbed an 8-3 edge out of the gate. Sims went to the bench with 10:28 on the clock, though, and sat out the remainder of the first half with two personals.

Delaware picked up its first lead of the game, 19-17, when Allen capped a 6-0 mini-run with a layup on the left side with 9:32 left in the opening frame.

UNCW regained control by answering with a six-point spurt. Okauru scored the first two buckets in the rally and a Jaylen Fornes jumper at the free throw line with 6:46 left pushed the lead back to 23-19.

The Seahawks managed to get the lead to six points, 30-24, on a three-ball on the left wing by reserve guard Jahmari Harvey at 3:31, but the Blue Hens scored six of the final 10 points of the half to stay close.

CAA Tournament Outstanding Player | Jyare Davis, Delaware

CAA All-Tournament Team | Jaylen Sims, UNCW; Mike Okauru, UNCW; Kevin Anderson, Delaware; Andrew Carr, Delaware; John Meeks, Charleston.

GAME NOTES: UNCW defeated Delaware twice during the regular season…The Seahawks are now 5-1 against Delaware in the CAA Tournament …Delaware’s largest lead of the game was four points and led for just 6:27 of the contest…The Blue Hens outrebounded the Seahawks, 42-32…Each team had 11 turnovers…The Seahawks have won more games 43 than any other school in the CAA Tournament… The No. 2 seed has fashioned a record of 60-30 in CAA Tournament play and gone 10-10 in championship games….The Seahawks are competed in their 37th CAA Tournament and own a record of 43-31 in the tourney with more victories than any other school in the event….UNCW is 10-6 overall as the No. 2 seed in the CAA Tournament…The Seahawks are 6-6 in championship games…A No. 2 seed had never faced a No. 5 seed in the championship game…There were 10 ties and seven lead changes in the contest…Attendance was 1,859.