WILMINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — In a critical Colonial Athletic Association clash that defied pregame projections, the William & Mary Tribe executed a decisive second-half turnaround to upset the UNC Wilmington Seahawks 85-78 on Thursday night at a packed Trask Coliseum.

Entering the contest with a 19-3 record and an 88% probability to win according to predictive metrics, UNC Wilmington appeared poised for another victory after taking a 45-41 lead into halftime behind a hot-shooting first period. The Seahawks, led by Nolan Hodge’s 22 points and Patrick Wessler’s 16, connected on 7 of 13 three-point attempts before the break and seemed in control.

The narrative shifted dramatically after intermission. William & Mary, now 15-8, tightened its defense and capitalized on transition opportunities, outscoring UNCW 44-33 in the second half. The Tribe’s defensive pressure, which generated seven steals, fueled a 22-9 advantage in points off turnovers and a dominant 22-7 edge in fastbreak points. These hustle metrics proved to be the game’s defining difference, overcoming UNC Wilmington’s slightly superior shooting percentage from the field.

The most pivotal sequence came midway through the second half with William & Mary clinging to a narrow lead. With just over 11 minutes remaining and the Tribe ahead 65-61, Kyle Pulliam drew a charge on UNCW’s Patrick Wessler. On the ensuing possession, Pulliam was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws. Seconds later, Jo’el Emanuel drew another foul and hit two more free throws. This five-point trip, without a single field goal attempt, extended the lead to 70-61 and forced a Seahawks timeout, stemming UNCW’s momentum and giving the Tribe a cushion they would not relinquish.

Reese Miller led all scorers with 23 points for William & Mary, including 9-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line in the final minutes to seal the victory. Jo’el Emanuel added 15 points and four assists, while Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi and Kyle Pulliam each contributed 10 points. The Tribe’s balanced attack and clutch free-throw shooting (18 of 24) offset a 29-of-55 (52.7%) shooting performance by the Seahawks.

For UNC Wilmington, which fell to 19-4, Hodge’s 22-point effort was supported by Wessler’s 16 points and 10 points apiece from Greedy Williams and Noah Ross. The Seahawks’ offense, however, went cold from deep in the second half, making only 4 of 11 three-point attempts, and they were outrebounded 10-6 on the offensive glass.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for William & Mary over the conference front-runner, having also defeated UNCW 77-70 on Jan. 22. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Seahawks and injected uncertainty into the CAA title race.

William & Mary, which has won four of its last five, will look to build on the momentum Saturday at Hampton. UNC Wilmington aims to regroup Monday in a key road test at College of Charleston.

An announced crowd of 5,220 witnessed the upset, where William & Mary’s efficiency in converting possessions into points—an offensive rating of 120.7 on 70 trips—ultimately overcame UNCW’s statistical edge in field goal percentage. The total points scored, 163, went under the pregame over/under line of 158.5.