WASHINGTON, DC. (WECT) – For the first time since 2017, the Seahawks are headed to the NCAA tournament.

The ‘Hawks beat Delaware 76-72 in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament championship game Tuesday night to secure their spot in the big dance.

“It means everything to our city to bring a trophy back, we hadn’t won it since 2017,” head coach Takayo Siddle said postgame. “We’re a very prideful university, a very prideful basketball program and to be back on top is definitely special.”

The win was UNCW’s third in three days after prior victories over Hampton and Charleston.

The Seahawks used a first-half run to take an eight-point lead into halftime, but the 12th-seeded Blue Hens rallied back. UNCW was able to fend off the push, using some late free throws to ensure the win. Four different players recorded double-digit points, and eight contributed significant minutes.

“It’s about UNCW tonight. It’s about these guys. What an unbelievable game that was, we could’ve wilted at any point but we didn’t. We’ve been resilient all year, when things weren’t going well we just battled through it,” Siddle said.

Siddle said coming into the tournament that the ‘Hawks had a chip on their shoulder, and were focusing on the tournament one game at a time. That mentality paid off as the team earned a new trophy, cut down the nets at CareFirst Arena and punched its ticket to March Madness.

“We just felt disrespected, and we felt like we had something to prove,” he said. “This is a group of guys that are underdogs that have worked hard for everything we’ve got, and I’m so proud of them. I’m so proud of this team and this program.”

Now, the Seahawks will wait to hear where they land on Selection Sunday as they seek their first NCAA Tournament win in over two decades.

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