UNCW Holds Off Delaware, 79-70, For CAA Men's Basketball Win

Thursday, January 21

Wilmington, N.C.

7:00 PM

University of Delaware

5-13 (0-7CAA)

UNCW

13-5 (5-2CAA)

Delaware

UNCW

UNCW Holds Off Delaware, 79-70, For CAA Men's Basketball Win

1/21/2016 9:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Delaware Athletics

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WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The University of Delaware men's basketball team remained in striking distance for the duration of the second half but could never get over the hump as the Blue Hens dropped a 79-70 Colonial Athletic Association verdict to UNCW Thursday night at Trask Coliseum.

The Seahawks (13-5, 5-2 CAA), who won their fourth consecutive game, took a 10-point advantage into the break and never led by less than six in the second half while improving to 8-1 at home this year. Chris Flemmings posted a double-double with team-highs of 17 points and 13 rebounds for UNCW, while C.J. Bryce added 16 points and seven boards.

Delaware (5-13, 0-7 CAA), which suffered its 10th consecutive defeat, received another big effort from sophomore guard Kory Holden, who led all scorers with 22 points. Holden reached double figures for the fifth consecutive game, while the contest marked his seventh 20-point effort of year. Maurice Jeffers contributed 12 points on the evening for the Blue Hens, while Marvin King-Davis and Anthony Mosley chipped in 11 apiece.

The Blue Hens, who committed a season-high 20 turnovers in their first meeting with UNCW, coughed the ball up just eight times on Thursday. However Delaware was hurt by 2 of 10 shooting from three-point range and an 18 of 28 performance from the foul line.

“We didn't do enough to win on the road tonight,” said Delaware head coach Monté Ross. “We missed too many layups and didn't finish plays at the foul line. We were able to score tonight, but we weren't able to get the stops we needed in the second half. Our margin for error is too slim for us to make that many mistakes.”

UNCW led by just a point at 14-13 early on but Delaware missed its next eight field goal attempts, as the Seahawks scored 13 straight points to go up 27-13 with six and a half minutes to play in the opening period. The Blue Hens closed within nine twice late in the half, while a layup by Mosley in the final seconds cut the deficit to 41-31 at the break.

Although the Blue Hens did not let the second half margin get above 10 for most of the period, Delaware could not get closer than six during the final 20 minutes. It was a 70-60 game when buckets by Holden and King-Davis brought UD within six at the 3:09 mark, but Holden missed a jumper in the paint and UNCW's Trey Grundy scored inside at the other end to put the Seahawks back up eight.

Devonne Pinkard, who finished with eight points, scored off a rebound for the Blue Hens, but Flemmings buried a three-pointer for UNCW and the Seahawks led by at least seven the rest of the way.

Delaware concludes its road trip on Saturday when the Blue Hens take on the College of Charleston at TD Arena at 4 p.m.

Game Notes:
• Delaware has lost six consecutive road games
• UD has opened 0-7 in league play for the first time since an 0-10 start in the ECC in 1980-81
• UNCW posted its first regular season sweep of UD since 2005-06
• Barnett Harris collected a season-high eight rebounds for the Blue Hens
• The Seahawks held a slim 39-38 rebounding edge

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)