There was no guarantee Shane Reybold was going to play against Delaware on Saturday.
The UNCW senior forward has been recovering from a stress fracture in his foot and his return depended on how he felt prior to the game against the Blue Hens. If Friday's practice went well, he might see some action. If it didn't, his return to the court would have to wait.
The practice went well and Reybold got the chance to play. It looked like he never left.
Earning his first start since Dec. 31, he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and played 19 minutes in a 66-65 loss to the Colonial Athletic Association frontrunner.
"We didn't think I was going to play as much as I did, but I was feeling good once I got out there, so they kept me in there a little longer than I expected," Reybold said.
His return to the court got off to a rough start.
In just five minutes of action during the first half, Reybold committed two fouls, had two turnovers and took no shots. He did force one steal, block a shot and grab three rebounds.
After catching his breath at halftime, the Laurel, Md., native found his rhythm in the second half. When UNCW coach Buzz Peterson asked Reybold if he needed to come out for a break, Peterson got the answer he's come to expect.
"He said 'I'm not coming out.' He didn't want to come out," Peterson said. "He really gives us that lift we've been missing."
Reybold made the most of his 14 minutes in the second half, grabbing three more rebounds and scoring eight points. For the season, that ties his fifth-best rebounding performance and fourth-best scoring effort.
Reybold's biggest shots came down the stretch of Saturday's game. After Carl Baptiste gave Delaware a 61-59 lead with 3:47 to go, Reybold took a backdoor cut pass from Cedrick Williams and turned it into a game-tying layup.
Williams, the game's leading scorer, fouled out moments later, leaving a void in UNCW's offensive attack. Reybold did his part to pick up the slack, connecting on a hook shot with 1:55 to go for a 65-62 lead. He would foul out with 57 seconds left in the game and the Seahawks would not score again.
Regardless of the numbers, Reybold was excited to be on the court after struggling with injury.
"I tried to stay positive ? tried to stay vocal and let these guys know that I'm still there with them, even though I'm not on the court," Reybold said. "I tried to let them know I'm still working hard and doing everything I could to get back on the court as soon as I could."
The UNCW senior forward has been recovering from a stress fracture in his foot and his return depended on how he felt prior to the game against the Blue Hens. If Friday's practice went well, he might see some action. If it didn't, his return to the court would have to wait.
The practice went well and Reybold got the chance to play. It looked like he never left.
Earning his first start since Dec. 31, he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and played 19 minutes in a 66-65 loss to the Colonial Athletic Association frontrunner.
"We didn't think I was going to play as much as I did, but I was feeling good once I got out there, so they kept me in there a little longer than I expected," Reybold said.
His return to the court got off to a rough start.
In just five minutes of action during the first half, Reybold committed two fouls, had two turnovers and took no shots. He did force one steal, block a shot and grab three rebounds.
After catching his breath at halftime, the Laurel, Md., native found his rhythm in the second half. When UNCW coach Buzz Peterson asked Reybold if he needed to come out for a break, Peterson got the answer he's come to expect.
"He said 'I'm not coming out.' He didn't want to come out," Peterson said. "He really gives us that lift we've been missing."
Reybold made the most of his 14 minutes in the second half, grabbing three more rebounds and scoring eight points. For the season, that ties his fifth-best rebounding performance and fourth-best scoring effort.
Reybold's biggest shots came down the stretch of Saturday's game. After Carl Baptiste gave Delaware a 61-59 lead with 3:47 to go, Reybold took a backdoor cut pass from Cedrick Williams and turned it into a game-tying layup.
Williams, the game's leading scorer, fouled out moments later, leaving a void in UNCW's offensive attack. Reybold did his part to pick up the slack, connecting on a hook shot with 1:55 to go for a 65-62 lead. He would foul out with 57 seconds left in the game and the Seahawks would not score again.
Regardless of the numbers, Reybold was excited to be on the court after struggling with injury.
"I tried to stay positive ? tried to stay vocal and let these guys know that I'm still there with them, even though I'm not on the court," Reybold said. "I tried to let them know I'm still working hard and doing everything I could to get back on the court as soon as I could."
