BOSTON (Interstat) — The UNC Wilmington Seahawks, one of the nation’s hottest teams, weathered a persistent challenge from the Northeastern Huskies on Thursday night to secure an 87-78 victory in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game at Matthews Arena.

The Seahawks, who entered the contest having won 14 of their last 15 games, improved to 15-2 overall. The Huskies fell to 5-10.

The game’s decisive dynamic was established not by flashy scoring runs, but by a profound and consistent disparity in two fundamental areas: free throw shooting and rebounding. UNC Wilmington, despite shooting a lower percentage from the field, attempted 34 free throws and made 30, a blistering 88.2% clip. Northeastern, conversely, went 14 for 24 from the line, leaving 10 critical points unclaimed.

That advantage was compounded by a complete dominance on the offensive glass. The Seahawks hauled in 12 offensive rebounds leading to 19 second-chance points, while Northeastern managed just three offensive boards all night. This combination allowed UNC Wilmington to maintain control despite committing twice as many turnovers (12-6) and recording only two assists as a team.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded late in the second half, stemming directly from those themes. With just over four minutes remaining and UNC Wilmington leading 71-68, Northeastern’s Youri Fritz was called for a foul on Nolan Hodge’s three-point attempt. Hodge, a 6-foot-7 forward from Greensboro, North Carolina, calmly sank all three free throws. On the ensuing possession, Hodge blocked a Ty Francis layup, and after a Northeastern offensive rebound, he drew another foul on William Kermoury and hit two more free throws.

In a span of 40 seconds, Hodge personally engineered a five-point swing entirely from the foul line, extending a precarious three-point lead to 76-68 with 3:43 to play. Northeastern never got closer than five points the rest of the way. Hodge finished with 17 points, four blocks and was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line.

UNC Wilmington was led by 7-foot center Patrick Wessler of Matthews, North Carolina, who scored 19 points on efficient 7-of-10 shooting from the field. Madison Durr added 14 points off the bench, and Greedy Williams facilitated the offense with seven assists to go with 11 points.

Northeastern’s effort was spearheaded by Youri Fritz of Tiel, Netherlands. The 6-foot-8 forward scored a game-high 21 points. Xavier Abreu provided a spark off the bench with 15 points, and Mike Loughnane filled the stat sheet with seven points, six assists and three blocks for the Huskies.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring 10 lead changes. Northeastern built an early 11-4 advantage behind the shooting of William Kermoury, but UNC Wilmington responded with a 12-2 run. The Seahawks took a 44-40 lead into halftime, a margin built largely by going 13 of 14 from the free throw line in the period.

The Huskies hung tough throughout the second half, tying the game at 51 on a JB Frankel three-pointer with 14:52 remaining. Each time Northeastern threatened, however, UNC Wilmington found an answer, often via an offensive rebound or a trip to the foul line. The Seahawks’ defense also came up with seven blocks, neutralizing drives to the basket.

The victory extends UNC Wilmington’s strong start to conference play. According to the Interstat ELO system, the Seahawks were projected with a 77.8% probability to win. The combined point total of 165 sailed over the pregame over/under line of 145.

UNC Wilmington will look to continue its momentum on the road at Stony Brook on Saturday. Northeastern remains at home to host Towson on Saturday.