The first game of the post-Benny Moss era didn’t start well. UNCW welcomed last place Towson for homecoming Saturday at Trask, but things didn’t go as planned. Tune into CFSR Sunday at noon for a complete look at the game and the removal of Coach Moss. Video will be posted on-line Monday. Complete story below.
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Towson rattled UNC Wilmington with its zone defense to spoil the debut of interim head coach Brooks Lee, 58-53, in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball action Saturday at Trask Coliseum.
The Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak to move to 5-15 overall and 2-9 in the CAA. The Seahawks fell for the seventh time in eight games to drop to 7-15 and 3-8.
Lee, who took over for fourth-year coach Benny Moss on Friday when Moss was reassigned within the athletic department, was making his first appearance in the lead chair and watched his team struggle offensively on 32.3 percent shooting. The Seahawks went just 5-for-34 behind the arc in losing for the first time in nine tries against the Tigers at Trask Coliseum.
Senior guard Josh Thornton paced three Tigers in double figures with 13 points. Senior forward Calvin Lee added 12 points and 12 rebounds and junior forward Jarrel Smith had 11 points for Towson, which drained 14-of-15 free throws in the contest.
Junior forward John Fields posted his sixth double-double of the season to lead three Seahawks in double figures. Fields scored 13 points and pulled down a school-record 21 rebounds, snapping the record set by Matt Fish against American on Jan. 20, 1992, in Washington, D.C. Junior guards Ahmad Grant and Chad Tomko chipped in 11 points apiece for the Seahawks, who shot just 21.9 percent in the second half.
The Tigers trailed 33-32 at halftime and were locked in a tight duel with the Seahawks before pulling ahead for good, 50-48, with 4:49 remaining. Towson pushed its lead to five points, 54-49, and went 10-for-11 at the charity stripe to seal the game down the stretch.
The Seahawks inched ahead, 48-44, on sophomore Will Ohuarebe’s hook shot in the paint at 9:23 before Towson responded by scoring 10 of the next 11 points to build its 54-49 lead. Josh Brown scored on a steal and layup off an inbounds play with 2:42 left to hand the Tigers a five-point cushion.
Freshman Keith Rendleman’s rebound and bucket off a missed free throw brought the Seahawks within 56-53 with 1:42 left, but a turnover and a pair of free throws by Isaiah Philmore with 10 seconds on the clock doused any hopes of a comeback.
UNCW took a 33-32 edge into halftime after holding the Tigers to 35.3 percent shooting in an opening period that featured 10 lead changes.
UNCW missed its first four shots of the second half and Towson forged ahead 36-33 on a pair of buckets by Lee to open the second half. Lee’s putback gave the Tigers a 36-33 edge with just over 17 minutes remaining to play.
After UNCW grabbed an early 14-6 lead on freshman Matt Wilson’s jumper from the left elbow at 15:01 of the first half. Wilson led the game with 5:17 remaining with a shoulder injury and is out indefinitely.
The Tigers still trailed 16-8 before scoring 11 unanswered points to take a 19-16 advantage. Sophomore guard RaShawn Polk drained a pair of three-pointers in the spurt, including a trey at 10:54 that completed the run and put the Tigers on top by three points.
UNCW regrouped to go ahead, 24-21, on senior Montez Downey’s jumper on the left baseline at 6:49 and the lead changed hands eight more times before the Seahawks took a 33-32 lead into the break.
The Seahawks complete a two-game homestand on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. matchup against VCU. The Tigers travel to Drexel on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. clash against the Dragons,

GAME NOTES: Fields added four blocked shots in an all-around game for the Seahawks…UNCW’s starting guards went 8-for-35 from the field…UNCW won the rebounding battle, 47-42…The Seahawks face the Tigers again on Feb. 10 at the Towson Center…Tomko led all players with five assists…UNCW was outscored at the free throw line, 14-6…UNCW went just 1-for-19 from long distance in the second half…UNCW still leads the all-time series, 13-8…Towson has won three of the last five games between the two clubs…UNCW is 10-4 against Towson since the Tigers joined the CAA.

-Game wrap courtesy UNCW