Wessler and Pettway Lead UNC Wilmington to 78-75 Victory Over East Carolina

UNC Wilmington secures 78-75 victory over East Carolina

Patrick Wessler and Tahlan Pettway provided the decisive scoring needed to propel the UNC Wilmington Seahawks to a 78-75 win against the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday, ABC News reported. The victory, earned in Greenville, North Carolina, saw the Seahawks improve to a 2-0 record for the season.

North Carolina has reportedly been in contact with 7’1” UNC Wilmington junior center Patrick Wessler. This season he averaged ⬇️ 13.6 PPG, 9.5 REB, 1.1 AST, 59.9 FG% I’ve received numerous messages about this, and he was reportedly on campus last night. pic.twitter.com/skq3D4V7n9

— https://x.com/TarHeelsHQ/status/2048174353037115831

The game was defined by a significant second-half surge from Wilmington. While the Pirates held a 33-31 lead at the halftime break, the Seahawks managed to outscore East Carolina by five points over the final twenty minutes of play to reclaim control. Wessler was a dominant force throughout the contest, finishing with 24 points and a massive 18 rebounds. According to Yardbarker, 16 of those 24 points were scored specifically during the second half.

The tension peaked in the closing minute of the game. With just 46 seconds remaining on the clock, Tahlan Pettway hit a three-pointer to secure the lead and effectively seal the outcome for the Seahawks. Pettway finished the day with 15 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and 3-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Individual performances drive the scoreboard

The statistical breakdown of the game shows a highly competitive matchup where multiple players reached significant scoring milestones. While Wessler led the way for Wilmington, C.J. Luster II was also instrumental, contributing 21 points. Luster’s efficiency was notable, as he shot 6-for-10 from the field—including 5-for-8 from three-point range—and added five rebounds.

East Carolina’s offense was anchored by Cian Medley, who produced a versatile stat line. As reported by the Associated Press, Medley led all scorers with 23 points, while also contributing 12 assists and three steals. Trevor Best added 22 points for the Pirates, and Kaseem Watson finished with 11 points in the effort.

The following table compares the primary scoring leaders from both teams:

Player	Team	Points
Cian Medley	East Carolina	23
Trevor Best	East Carolina	22
C.J. Luster II	UNC Wilmington	21
Patrick Wessler	UNC Wilmington	24

Upcoming schedules for both programs

The momentum from this Saturday matchup sets different trajectories for both programs as they head into Wednesday’s slate of games. UNC Wilmington will look to maintain their undefeated start as they host Kent State.

Conversely, East Carolina will attempt to bounce back from this loss to improve their standing to 1-1. The Pirates are scheduled to host North Carolina A&T on Wednesday.