Seahawks, Tribe Hook Up In Matchup Of 3-1 CAA Teams

Game #16: UNCW "Seahawks" vs. William & Mary "Tribe" Kaplan Arena (8,600) • Williamsburg, Va. Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 • 7 p.m. Seahawk Digital Network (Audio) • Live Stats Twitter: @UNCWMensHoops • #wingsup Game Notes: UNCW \| W&M


	UNCW "Seahawks" 2014-15 Record: 8-7, 3-1 CAA Last Game: Jan. 10 vs. Drexel - W, 64-57 (Recap \| Box Score) Head Coach: Kevin Keatts (1st Season) Roster \| Schedule \| Statistics \| Homepage


	William & Mary "Tribe" 2014-15 Record: 9-6, 3-1 CAA Last Game: Jan. 10 vs. James Madison - W, 81-73 (Recap \| Box Score) Head Coach: Tony Shaver (12th Season) Roster \| Schedule \| Statistics \| Homepage

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW men's basketball Coach Kevin Keatts calls his team's upcoming slate of three conference road games in eight days "the toughest stretch since I've taken the job."

The Seahawks (8-7, 3-1) battle William & Mary (9-6, 3-1) on Wednesday in Williamsburg, Va., before visiting Hofstra (Jan. 17) and the College of Charleston (Jan. 21).

"William & Mary is a complete team," said Keatts. "They can score from four different positions and do a good job of rebounding the basketball. They run the Princeton style of offense and like to get out and run. It's going to be a tough game for us."

UNCW is one of hottest teams in the Colonial Athletic Association after mounting a three-game winning streak over Northeastern, Delaware and Drexel last week. The Seahawks are tied with the Tribe and Huskies for second place in the loop behind frontrunner Hofstra.

The Seahawks head into Colonial Williamsburg as a revamped team playing with loads of confidence. A trio of seniors, anchored by hometown product Freddie Jackson, has helped Keatts make UNCW one of the surprise teams early in the league race.

Jackson, a silky-smooth 6-4, 180-pound guard, scored 18 points in a road victory at preseason favorite Northeastern, tallied a team-high 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists in an overtime win against Delaware and knocked down a team-best 19 points in a triumph over Drexel. For the week, Jackson shot 55.5 percent from the floor.

Jackson's name dominates the CAA's weekly statistical charts. He ranks fifth in scoring (15.5 ppg), fifth in rebounding (6.3 rpg), fifth in field goal percentage (.466), second in steals (1.6 spg) and first in minutes played (37.4 mpg). He also ranks sixth nationally in minutes played.

Backcourt mate Addison Spruill (12.4 ppg) and redshirt playmaker Craig Ponder (11.5 ppg) give the Seahawks three players in double figures. UNCW is averaging 71.1 ppg and giving up the same number while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 64.3 percent at the free throw line.

The Tribe was picked to finish second in the CAA preseason poll and hasn't disappointed. Longtime coach Tony Shaver has W&M right in the thick of things early in the conference schedule behind preseason Player-of-the-Year Marcus Thornton and a host of other scorers.
Thornton, a 6-4, 190-pound senior guard, is the second leading scorer in the CAA at 19.8 ppg and is complemented by Omar Prewitt (10.9 ppg) and Daniel Dixon (10.7 ppg).

"Marcus Thornton is a tremendous player," said Keatts. "William & Mary has kind of blitzed everyone they've played. We have to figure out a way to hang around and steal a win up there. It's a tough week ahead, so we'll see what our guys are made of."

Another Tribe player, junior guard Terry Tarpey, shared CAA Player-of-the-Week honors with Jackson after averaging 16.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He set career-highs with 22 points and 13 rebounds at Elon before recording the first triple-double in Tribe program history with 18 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists in an 81-73 victory over JMU on Saturday. Tarpey shot 58.1 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent from the free throw line last week.

The Seahawks and Tribe are meeting for the 64th time and the 32nd time in Williamsburg. UNCW leads the all-time series by a 40-23 margin, but the Tribe has won four in a row, including two straight at Kaplan Arena. The Seahawks stand 19-12 lifetime in Williamsburg, including 14-9 at William & Mary Hall and 5-3 since the Tribe's cavernous facility changed its name to Kaplan Arena.

Following Wednesday's test with the Tribe, the Seahawks visit Long Island on Saturday for a 2 p.m. date with Hofstra. UNCW then visits the College of Charleston on Wednesday, Jan. 21, for a 7:30 contest with the Cougars.

Wednesday's game in Williamsburg can be heard on the Seahawk Digital Network via UNCWsports.com. Fans should click on the "Live Events" button on the top right-hand corner of the main page and follow the prompts for the free broadcast. A 15-minute pregame show kicks off the coverage followed by first-half coverage, a 15-minute halftime show, second-half action and a 15-minute post-game show.

Live-in game updates are also available on Twitter by following @UNCWmenshoops.

Season tickets remain on sale for UNCW's home schedule and may be purchased at the UNCW Athletics Ticket Office in Trask Coliseum or by visiting UNCWsports.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the UNCW Athletic Ticket Office at 910-962-3233 or 1-800-808-UNCW.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Freddie Jackson: G; 6' 4"; Senior

#0 Craig Ponder: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#24 Addison Spruill: G; 6' 4"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#10 Freddie Jackson
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

#0 Craig Ponder
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#24 Addison Spruill
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

UNC Wilmington Athletics

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Seahawks, Tribe Hook Up In Matchup Of 3-1 CAA Teams

Players Mentioned

#10 Freddie Jackson

#0 Craig Ponder

#24 Addison Spruill

Players Mentioned

#10 Freddie Jackson

#0 Craig Ponder

#24 Addison Spruill