TOWSON, Md. ? Chad Tomko scored 25 points with a career-high 15 assists for the first “double double” of his career as UNC Wilmington outlasted Towson, 103-98, in double overtime at the Towson Center Saturday night.
Tomko was one of four players in double figures for the Seahawks (5-16, 2-7), who snapped a 10-game road losing skid. Towson (7-14, 2-7) suffered its sixth straight loss and the ninth in its last 11 games.
It was the first time in five years that Towson had allowed 100 points. The 98 points they scored were the most since a 99-84 win at James Madison in 2006.
Josh Thornton and Junior Hairston each scored 25 points to lead Towson. Thornton forced the overtime with a three-pointer with 8.1 seconds remaining in regulation while Hairston added 15 rebounds for his 5th “double-double” of the season.
The Seahawks tied a Towson Center record by making 15 of 33 three-point field goal attempts. Tomko was 5 of 12 from beyond the arc.
“They made a ton of shots and we didn't do what we had to do to stop them,” said Tiger coach Pat Kennedy. “We're struggling as much defensively as we are offensively. Giving up 53 per cent shooting to an opponent makes it very difficult to be successful.”
Jarrel Smith added 14 points with 10 rebounds for his 3rd “double double” of the season for the Tigers.
The Tigers were forced to play both overtime periods without freshman guard Troy Franklin, who fouled out with 28.4 seconds remaining in regulation. He scored eight points with a season-high 10 assists before leaving the game.
UNCW shot 59 per cent in the first half in earning a 45-41 lead at the break. A 9-1 Seahawks' run turned a 31-27 deficit into a 36-32 lead with 4:37 left in the first period. From there UNCW upped its lead to seven points twice before a Franklin floating jumper and a Robert Nwankwo free throw closed the gap to four points at the break.
The Seahawks kept firing away at the start of the second half and with the help of three treys opened up a 60-50 lead. UNCW led by as many as 13 (72-59) before an 11-0 Towson run trimmed the lead to 72-70 at the 5:48 mark.
The Seahawks continued to hold the lead but the Tigers stayed close. Calvin Lee's layup cut the margin to 81-80 with 35.4 seconds remaining.
Towson was short on team fouls and had to hack away at the Seahawks to put them on the line where they had not attempted a free throw all night. With 21.0 seconds left Tomko finally made it to the line where he sank both tries for an 83-80 UNCW lead.
Thornton knotted the score on a three with 8.1 seconds left. UNCW turned the ball over on the inbounds. Brian Morris tried to win it for the Tigers but his shot was blocked by Jerel Stephenson, sending the game into overtime.
Neither team could gain a clear advantage in the first overtime. Thornton came to Towson's rescue again with a two-pointer that tied the game again at 89-89, resulting in a second overtime.
With time winding down Johnny Wolf stepped up for UNCW. He grabbed a rebound off a Smith miss inside of a minute left. Then his baseline jumper with 29.5 seconds left beat the shot clock buzzer for a 99-96 lead. Smith answered for Towson with a layup at 15.9 seconds. Wolf was fouled and hit both free throws with 12.7 seconds. Thornton's trey was wide of the mark on the other end with two seconds left. Darryl Felder finished it off for UNCW with two free throws as time expired.
The Tigers are back on the court this Wednesday night when they travel to Williamsburg, Va. to face the William & Mary Tribe in another key CAA match up. The opening tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The game will be carried back to the metropolitan Baltimore area on WTMD (89.7 FM) Radio.
Game Notes: UNC Wilmington tied a Towson Center single-game record by connecting on 15 three-point field goals ... The record was originally set by Hofstra in 2006 ... The Seahawks also tied an arena with their 33 three-point field goal attempts, a mark set by Lafayette in 1996 ... Saturday's game was the first double overtime game for the Tigers since an 87-81 loss at Georgia State on Jan. 3, 2007 ... The Tigers also allowed 100 points for the first time in nearly four years (Jan. 28, 2004 at VCU) ... Troy Franklin became the first Tiger to record 10 assists in a game since C.C. Williams had 10 assists against George Mason last season ... Junior Hairston recorded his 5th "double double" of the season and the 14th of his career ... Jarrel Smith had his third "double double" of the season ... UNC Wilmington's Chad Tomko set a Towson Center single-game record with his 15 assists, breaking the previous record of 14 which was held by three different players ... He also recorded the first "double double" of his career and the fifth by a Seahawk this year ... It was the first time a UNCW player had 10 or more assists in a game since T.J. Carter had 10 assists against William & Mary last season ... The Tigers are now 2-14 when trailing at half-time ... UNCW snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory ... It was also the Seahawks' third 100-point game - they scored 108 points against Appalachian State and 107 points against Troy.
