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UNC Wilmington Athletics

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Events/Results

williams_cedrick
Bennett Scarborough
110
Winner UNCW UNCW 2-1
93
VMI VMI 2-2
Winner
UNCW UNCW
2-1
110
Final
93
VMI VMI
2-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNCW UNCW 46 64 110
VMI VMI 45 48 93

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Seahawks Explode Past Keydets Behind Jackson, Balanced Attack

LEXINGTON, Virginia  – Senior guard Freddie Jackson led five players in double figures with a career-high 26 points and UNCW scored 84 points in the paint to race past VMI, 110-93, on Saturday night at VMI's Cameron Hall.
 
The Seahawks, facing their second straight Southern Conference opponent, won their second in a row to improve to 2-1 on the season following successive road wins at UNC Greensboro and VMI. The Keydets had their record evened at 2-2.
 
Jackson, a hometown product out of New Hanover High School, scored 20 of his total in the second half as the Seahawks outscored the Keydets, 64-48, in the final 20 minutes to nail down the road win. Jackson and fellow seniors Cedrick Williams and Addison Spruill combined for 69 of the team's 110 points.
 
Williams poured in 23 points, Spruill chipped in 20 markers, freshman guard Malik Pugh erupted for 16 points and redshirt junior guard Craig Ponder contributed 10 points as nine players scratched for the Seahawks.
 
Sophomore guard QJ Peterson scored a game-high 27 points to pace the Keydets, who shot 47 percent on the night and converted 13-of-29 field goals behind the arc. Tim Marshall and Brian Brown added 17 and 16 points before 1,867 fans.
 
"I thought our guys did a tremendous job of following the game plan," said UNCW first-year Head Coach Kevin Keatts. "We went into the game not wanting to get caught up in the way VMI likes to play. We wanted to make sure we got some paint touches and as many easy baskets as we could.
 
"Our seniors all played well. It was good to keep Cedrick (Williams) on the floor. People have been worried about his production, but his minutes have been down due to foul trouble.
 
"I'm extremely happy with the win, especially with the way we're shooting the ball and getting to the rim. Our guys played tremendously on both ends of the floor and shared the ball well with 20 assists."
 
UNCW shot well for the second straight game, connecting 47-of-79 field goals for 59.5 percent. The 47 field goals tied the school record set in a 103-77 victory over Berry College on Dec. 9, 1980.
 
The Seahawks placed five men in double figures for the first time since a 76-72 victory over Georgia State on Feb. 6, 2013.  It was also the first time UNCW had three players with 20 or more points since a 107-95 decision over Troy on Nov. 17, 2008.
 
In only the second game ever between the two schools, the Seahawks trailed by six points late in the first half before regrouping for a one-point advantage at intermission and breaking away with a dominating performance in the second half.
 
Leading 46-45 at halftime, the Seahawks came out of the locker room with the hot hand behind Jackson and Spruill. Jackson opened the second half with a three-pointer on the left wing and Spruill tacked on a pair of layups to extend the lead. Pugh then came up with a steal and layup and the lead ballooned to 55-45, forcing VMI's Duggar Baucom to call a timeout.
 
The Seahawks maintained a comfortable lead throughout the final period and answered several VMI rallies with timely steals off deflections. UNCW finished with 14 steals on the night, with seven players recording at least one steal.
 
UNCW then recorded its largest lead of the game when Ponder dropped in both ends of a bonus situation for the final 17-point decision. It was the most points the Seahawks have scored since a 115-95 victory against the Keydets at home on Nov. 29, 2009.
 
UNCW forged ahead at halftime, 46-45, by scoring inside and shooting a solid 52.6 percent against the Keydets. Williams made 6-of-8 shots and grabbed four boards in an opening 20 minutes that saw 11 lead changes.
 
After VMI used a 15-6 spurt to grab a 33-28 advantage with just over seven minutes left in the first period and still led, 45-40, with just two minutes remaining.
 
But Pugh, a rookie from Dyer County, Tenn., scored a pair of quick buckets in the final minute for UNCW and the Seahawks, who missed both of their three-point attempts in the first half, carried a 46-45 edge into the break.
 
The Seahawks break for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 29, by playing Davidson at Belk Arena. VMI travels to Morgantown, W.Va., on Wednesday, Nov. 26, to face the Mountaineers.
 
GAME NOTES: The Seahawks stand 171-196 against Virginia teams through the years…UNCW is also 19-16 against the Southern Conference…Peterson was tagged with a technical foul in the first half…Freddie Jackson led all players with 37 minutes…The Seahawks shot 65.9 percent in the second half…UNCW attempted just seven treys and made a pair…VMI had 23 turnovers…UNCW won the rebounding battle, 43-30…Ponder and freshman Jordan Talley had five assists apiece to lead the team…Williams and Jackson each had 12 rebounds to pace the Seahawks.
 
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