Demir and Butler Lead Dragons Past UNCW, 69-57

Thursday, February 7

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7 p.m.

Drexel University

12-13

UNCW

8-17

UNCW

Drexel

Demir and Butler Lead Dragons Past UNCW, 69-57

2/7/2019 8:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel men's basketball team (12-13, 6-6 CAA) held off the UNCW Seahawks (8-17, 4-8 CAA) on Thursday evening in a conference affair at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pa. by a final of 69-57. The win moved the Dragons into a tie for fourth place in the conference. Alihan Demir and James Butler, Drexel's two starting big men, combined to score 31 points in the game as the Dragons improved to 8-3 at the DAC this season.

After a low scoring first half as Drexel held a 23-22 advantage at the break, DU poured in 46 points in the second half for the 12-point win. UNCW came into the game averaging 78.1 points per game, second in the CAA, and finished with only 57 on the night. The Drexel defense held the Seahawks to just 2-for-18 from behind the arc and to just 38 percent shooting in the game.

Drexel nailed three straight three-pointers early in the second half to extend its lead to eight just three minutes into the second half. The Seahawks chipped away and took the lead with an 8-0 run, capped by a Jaylen Sims dunk. The teams swapped buckets before Drexel countered with a an eight-point spurt of its own. Coletrane Washington started the run, which gave the Dragons the lead for good, on a three-pointer with 9:53 to play. The Seahawks couldn't get any closer than five points the rest of the way as UNCW saw its seven-game winning streak against DU come to an end.

Junior Alihan Demir finished with a game-high 20 points including 12 in the second half. He was 9-for-14 from the floor. Graduate transfer Trevor John was without a bucket in the first half but started the second half 4-of-4 from three-point range as he scored 14 points, all in the second period.

John's first three of the second half was No. 80 on the season. His current total of 83 places him alone in sixth place on Drexel's single-season 3FG leaderboard. The record is held by Dominic Mejia with 92 treys in the 2005-06 season for the Dragons.

Sophomore James Butler finished with his fifth double-double of the year behind 11 points and 15 rebounds. Freshman Camren Wynter dished out eight assists with no turnovers. It was the second time this season the first-year players has had eight or more assists with no turnovers in a game.

UNCW's Devontae Cacok, who had been a thorn in the Dragons' side, ended with 15 points and nine boards. He was averaging 19.4 points and 17.4 rebounds per game in his previous five meetings against Drexel, all with double-doubles. Jaylen Sims was the only other Seahawk in double figures with 11 points on Thursday.

NEXT UP
Drexel returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the DAC vs. the College of Charleston for Autism Awareness Day. Tip is set for 4 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia+.