NIGHTHAWKS PICK UP 110-107 WIN OVER THE WILMINGTON SEA DAWGS

November 14 , 2006

By Rachel George Staff Writer rachel.george@starnewsonline.com

All it took was six minutes. In that span, the Wilmington Sea Dawgs went from cruising to the franchise's first win to watching it slip away in the final minutes. A Maryland run during the third and fourth quarters helped lift the Nighthawks past the Sea Dawgs 110-107 on Monday at Cape Fear Community College's Schwartz Center.

After controlling most of the game in their American Basketball Association debut, the Sea Dawgs allowed the Nighthawks to come back late. Up 85-68 with about two minutes left in the third quarter, Wilmington gave up a 20-3 run that tied the score at 88. After three 3-D situations, in which teams get an extra point for each basket after the opposing team turns the ball over in its backcourt, yielded no extra points for the Nighthawks in the first half, they took advantage of three late in the game.

During Maryland's run, Attilla Cosby made two of three free throws after a Wilmington turnover, Antar Parkman scored after another turnover to cut the lead to 88-82 and a layup by Eric Branham off a steal put Maryland up 91-90.

"We weren't able to get back in transition, which they got too many transition buckets, which gave them a lot of confidence," coach Kevin Whitted said. "Once they started making shots, the momentum changed. "Our turnovers ignited their offense. When we turned the ball over, it really took us out."

Wilmington took the lead again late, going up 105-100 after a layup and two free throws from Kendrick Jones and another from Lee. But the Nighthawks responded with Thomas Hawkins' three free throws after he was fouled in a 3-D situation, and the Sea Dawgs were forced to foul and couldn't get back into the game.

The Sea Dawgs rallied from a 9-2 deficit early to take a 34-22 lead after the first quarter and a 58-46 halftime lead. Cedric McGinnis and Lee Cook combined for 33 points in the paint for Wilmington, but the Sea Dawgs made just two shots from three-point range. Jones led seven scorers in double figures with his 18 points. Dennis Edwards scored 22 points to lead the Nighthawks.