WILMINGTON, North Carolina - Buzz Peterson's Seahawks look to shake a four-game slide on Saturday night when William & Mary visits Trask Coliseum for a 7 p.m. tip-off against the Seahawks in a rematch of a game played 33 days ago in Williamsburg, Va.
The Seahawks, 10-13 overall and 4-8 in the conference, have dropped successive games to Old Dominion, Northeastern, VCU and Georgia State since trimming Towson, 66-60, on Jan. 22 at Trask Coliseum.
"We've been working hard at doing the fundamental things we need to do to be successful," said Peterson, who is winding down his first year as UNCW's hoops leader. "It's always a tough grind this time of year, but it's important to stay focused every day."
UNCW is coming off a tough 63-58 overtime loss at Georgia State on Wednesday that saw the Seahawks dig out of a deep hole and take the lead before the Panthers turned the tables in the extra period. Junior guard Trevor Deloach came off the bench to score a career high 20 points, but poor shooting overall cost Peterson's club a shot at pulling out a victory at the GSU Sports Arena.
"We've had a tough week," added Peterson. "There's been a lot of things going on, but the guys are still working hard and ready to compete hard for a win on Saturday. It will be good to get back on our home floor with our students and community behind us."
While the Seahawks were coming up short in Atlanta, the Tribe was recording a surprise in Harrisonburg, Va., handing James Madison only its second home loss in 12 outings this season. Junior guard Quinn McDowell scored a team-high 23 points as W&M connected on 56.8 percent from the floor and went 9-of-18 from three-point range.
W&M never trailed in the win over the Dukes and got timely contributions from newcomers Julian Boatner and Brandon Britt. Boatner scored 15 points on 5-for-5 shooting from deep and Britt chipped in 10 points for his 10th straight game in double digits.
"Coach Shaver has his team playing very well right now," Peterson said. "They have a good mix of veterans and freshman. He does a great job with them, and we know this will be a very big challenge for us after seeing them earlier in Williamsburg."
In the last meeting between the two teams, senior guard Chad Tomko scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half and UNCW held off a furious W&M rally for a 61-59 victory at Kaplan Arena. The Seahawks led by as many as 14 points in the second half before the Tribe climbed to within two points in the final minute. Sophomore forward Keith Rendleman posted a double double of 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Seahawks. McDowell's 17 points was high for the Tribe.
The Seahawks and Tribe lock horns for the 57th time on Saturday. UNCW leads the all-time series by a 37-19 margin, but William & Mary has won three of the last five games.
In last year's installment in Wilmington, McDowell poured in a game-high 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting to propel the Tribe past UNCW, 62-51, on Senior Night at Trask Coliseum. McDowell went 4-for-6 from long distance and added four assists for W&M, which won its 20th game of the season. David Schneider and Marcus Kitts had 10 rebounds apiece as Tony Shaver's club avenged a loss earlier in the season.
The Seahawks and Tribe each feature good young players who be around for years to come. UNCW's Tanner Milson (6.8 ppg) and Donte Morales (5.4 ppg) and W&M's Britt (10.4 ppg) and Boatner (5.1 ppg) are bright spots for the future of both programs.
The contest features two of the CAA's top three-point shooting clubs. UNCW ranks second in the circuit in three-point field goals made per game (7.3) and W&M ranks third (7.1).
Following Saturday's clash, the Seahawks entertain George Mason on Tuesday in a game being televised by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
