WILMINGTON, N.C. – Playing for the first time in a week and its third road tilt in the first four CAA games, the William & Mary men's basketball team fell at reigning league champion UNCW, 101-77, on Thursday night. W&M (8-7, 2-2 CAA) jumped out to an early lead by hitting 14 of its first 17 shots, but UNCW (16-2, 5-0) answered by shooting 55.7 percent on the evening and converting 17 Tribe turnovers in 32 points.
 
Junior big man Jack Whitman led the Tribe with a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Senior Omar Prewitt finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while classmate Daniel Dixon and freshman Nathan Knight tallied 10 points apiece. Dixon also led the Green and Gold with four assists.
 
The Tribe started the contest on fire, hitting 14 of its first 17 shots in opening up an eight-point first-half lead. Prewitt scored seven of W&M's first 17 points and his left wing 3-pointer in transition gave the visitors at 17-14 lead at the first media time, seven and a half minutes into the game.
 
The Green and Gold extended the margin to eight as sophomore Paul Rowley knocked down a top of the key 3-pointers and Dixon drove the left side of the lane for a lay-up. Whitman, who led the Tribe with 12 first-half points, scored on back-to-back possession, including a dunk at the 7:52 mark, as W&M held on to a 30-22 advantage.
 
UNCW responded with a 17-2 run to flip the lead in favor of the home side. The Seahawks scored 12 straight points, including back-to-back buckets from Devontae Cacock, to take a 34-30 lead with 5:27 left. A Denzel Ingram 3-pointer in transition and two C.J. Bryce free throws extend the lead to 39-32. W&M drew within six on a Whitman hook in the post, but UNCW score the half's final five points, including an Ambrose Mosley corner 3-pointer, to take a double-digit advantage, 47-36, to the locker room.
 
Whitman scored seven of the Tribe's first 10 points of the second half, including an old-fashion three-point play just three minutes into the frame to cut the UNCW lead to eight, 54-46. The Seahawks responded with 13-straight points to open up a 21-point cushion. Chris Flemmings scored five during the stretch, Cacock added four and a pair of Bryce free throws at the 13:20 mark stretched the lead over 20 points.
 
The Tribe drew within 14 points, 70-56, with 11:16 left on a Justin Pierce putback, but it was as close as the Green and Gold would get. The Seahawks shot 64.7 percent (22-of-34) from the field in the final 20 minutes, including 19-of-23 inside the 3-point arc, to keep the game out of reach.
 
After shooting 63 percent (17-of-27) in the first half, W&M finished the night at 53.2 percent (33-of-62) overall. The Tribe scored 52 points in the paint and 29 off the bench, but was just 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) from 3-point range. Pierce added seven points and four rebounds off the bench, while junior Jamison Glover tallied a career-high seven on 3-of-3 shooting.
 
UNCW placed six players in double figures led by 18 apiece from Flemmings, Bryce and Ingram. Cacock turned in a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double, while Mosley chipped in 14 on four 3-pointers. The Seahawks shot 55.7 percent (39-of-70) from the floor, including 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) from 3-point range. Along with the 32 points off turnovers, UNCW had 28 fast-break points.
 
Playing its sixth road tilt in the last seven games, the Tribe continues its southern swing in league play at College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m., and the game will be available online at CAA.TV. Tribe fans can also catch the action over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley and Charlie Woollum on the call. The Tide 92.3 FM and 107.9 Bach FM are the flagship stations of the Tribe Radio Network and the audio is also available over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.