Free Throws the Difference in Men's Basketball’s Loss at UNCW

Friday, November 8

Wilmington, NC

7:00 p.m.

Georgia Southern University

1-1,0-0Sun Belt

UNCW

2-0,0-0CAA

Ga. Southern

UNCW

Photo by: Tyler Gallo / Georgia Southern Athletics

Free Throws the Difference in Men's Basketball’s Loss at UNCW

11/8/2024 11:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Dontae Horne scores career-best 23 in the loss

WILMINGTON, N.C. – An opponent record of 42 free throws made and 59 attempted did Georgia Southern men's basketball (1-1) in on the road, falling 92-84 to UNCW (2-0) at Trask Coliseum on Friday night.

After trailing 5-3 early on, the Eagles grabbed the lead on a Dontae Horne layup. They pushed it to 10 after Bradley Douglas hit a three and then laid one in to make it 19-10 at 12:38.

GS pulled away a little with under eight minutes remaining. Horne drove for a layup, and then a steal and score right after by Eren Banks made it a 14-point lead - the largest of the night for the Eagles.

However, the fouls began to rack up after a UNCW timeout. A big-time layup by Adante' Holiman put the lead back to seven, which the Seahawks cut to three heading into the break.

UNCW shot just 1-16 from the three-point mark for the entirety of the first half.

Fouls on both sides marred the second half, but the Eagles were the unfortunate recipient of 21 in the second half.

UNCW went back in front briefly, but layups by Horne and Tyson Brown put the Eagles over the hump to lead by one. Nakavieon White knocked down a three to take the lead back, followed by a layup by Douglas to push it back to three.

Holiman's three at 13:00 pushed the lead to four, the largest the Eagles had for the remainder of the game.

Threes by Banks and Horne cut the deficit back to two late, but the deficit - and the foul trouble - allowed the home team to pull away with a 92-84 win.

The 42 free throws made and 59 attempts were the most by any Georgia Southern opponent in program history, breaking the record of 40 and 52 set by Ole Miss on Nov. 6, 2015. Donovan Newby's 21 FTA were the most by any player against Georgia Southern, breaking the record Griffin Kinney of App State set in 2017.

Georgia Southern had five players score in double figures in the loss - Horne (23, career-high), Holiman (14), Douglas (12), Banks (11) and Tyson Brown (10). White also contributed 9 points.

Brown's five rebounds led the team and Banks had four assists as the Eagles shot 49.2 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.

GS will return home for a matchup with Augusta on Monday.