WILMINGTON, N.C. — William & Mary men's basketball rallied from a double-digit first-half deficit with an impressive second-half performance to sweep the season series from defending CAA Champion UNCW, 85-78, at Trask Coliseum on Thursday night. 

The Tribe (15-8, 6-5 CAA) used a 12-0 second-half run to take a lead it would not relinquish. W&M outrebounded UNCW, 37-28, after the Seahawks entered the game leading the CAA and ranking No. 19 nationally in rebounding margin. The Tribe pulled down 12 offensive rebounds and turned those into 21 second-chance points, while also converting 12 UNCW turnovers in 22 points. W&M also connected on 11 3-pointers, its third game of double-digits triples in the last four contests. 

Junior Reese Miller delivered a season-high 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and 9-of-12 at the free throw line. Graduate student Jo'el Emanuel chipped in 15 points while hitting 5-of-7 from the floor to go with four rebounds and four assists. Senior Kyle Pulliam added 10 points, four assists, and three steals, while junior Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi also made his mark with 10 points, five rebounds, and two steals.

UNCW (19-4, 8-2 CAA) started the contest on fire, hitting eight of its first 10 from 3-point range in the opening half. Nolan Hodge scored 14 of the Seahawks' first 24 points, including four 3-pointers, before a Madison Durr 3-pointer gave the home team its largest lead at 27-15 with 9:26 left in the first half. 

The Tribe answered with back-to-back 3's from Ryan Jackson Jr. and Kilian Brockhoff to close the gap, before a Vahlberg Fasasi fast-break lay-up narrowed the deficit to 34-32 with 5:08 left in the period.

The Seahawks led 45-41 at the intermission thanks in large part to shooting 58.6% (17-of-29), including 9-of-14 from 3. 

Pulliam sparked a 12-0 Tribe run to give W&M its first lead just 7:38 into the second half. The senior guard knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, the second of which came off his own steal and gave W&M the lead at 61-59. He knocked down a pair of free throws, and Emanuel followed with two to stretch the Tribe lead to six with 11:34 remaining. 

UNCW pulled within three, 69-66, on a Nolan Ross dunk with five minutes to go, but Emanuel responded. He scored on back-to-back possessions via a dunk and fast-break lay-up, before finding Pulliam for a cutting lay-up at the 3:04 mark to give W&M its largest lead at 75-66. 

The lead would not dip below five the rest of the way, and Miller hit 7-of-8 at the free throw line over the final minute to put the game on ice. 

W&M finished the contest at 47.5% (28-of-58) shooting, including 11-of-23 (47.8%) from 3-point range. The Tribe also connected on 18-of-24 (75%) at the free throw line. Jackson, Jr. tallied eight points on a pair of 3-pointers and five rebounds off the bench. Brockhoff added nine points and four rebounds, while senior Chase Lowe led the Tribe with nine rebounds. 

Hodge topped the Seahawks with 22 points, connecting on 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Patrick Wessler contributed 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and secured eight rebounds. Ross provided support with 10 points and a team-high five assists, while Greedy Williams added 10 points. UNCW finished the game at 52.7% (29-of-55) from the floor and matched the Tribe hitting 11 3-pointers. 

Up Next 
The Tribe makes the short trip east on I-64 to take on Hampton on Saturday afternoon for the second of three straight on the road. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on the Monumental Sports Network and streamed on FloCollege. W&M fans can listen into the radio broadcast on the Tribe Sports Network with Jay Colley on the call. The broadcast will be available on The Tide 92.3 FM in Williamsburg, the flagship station of the Tribe Sports Network.