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Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Cap Homestand With Dragons

Game No. 14: UNCW "Seahawks" Vs. Drexel "Dragons"
Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 | 7 p.m. | Trask Coliseum (5,200) | Wilmington, N.C.
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23207
 UNCW "Seahawks" 21498 Drexel "Dragons"
2017-18 Record: 3-10 2017-18 Record: 6-8
Last Game: l. vs. Delaware, 58-56, 12-30-17 Last Game: l at Elon, 90-75, 12-30-17
Head Coach: C.B. McGrath (1st Season) Head Coach: Zach Spiker (2nd Season)
Roster | Schedule-Results | Statistics | Website Roster | Schedule-Results | Statistics | Website
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team rings in the New Year by capping a stretch of three games in six days with Colonial Athletic Association rival Drexel on Tuesday night at Trask Coliseum.
 
Both clubs seek their first conference win after taking losses in Saturday's debut. Delaware held on for a 58-56 verdict over the Seahawks in C.B. McGrath's home debut, while the Dragons suffered a 90-75 setback at Elon earlier in the day.
 
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and it's Military Appreciation Night at Trask Coliseum. Active and retired military personnel will be admitted for $5 each with a valid military ID, with a limit of two per person. During halftime festivities, renowned singer/artist Joe Everson will sing "God Bless America" while painting a patriotic portrait for UNCW.
 
"We wanted to start out 1-0, everybody wanted to start 1-0," said McGrath. "You can't take a lot away from the first game, but we definitely wanted to win and did not. We knew what it was going to take, but just didn't get it done.
 
"The belief is still there. The only thing we've lost is having a great win-loss record. We just want to start playing better and make progress during the course of the season. We're in the conference season now and people are familiar with Devontae (Cacok) and know about Jordon (Talley). There's several new guys we have that teams don't know about."
 
The Seahawks dipped to 3-10 and 0-1 after Saturday's narrow defeat to the Blue Hens at Trask Coliseum. Talley returned to the court following a one-game hiatus due to an injury, scoring a team-high 15 points with five rebounds and five assists, but Delaware rallied from seven points down with 10 minutes left to pull out the road win.
 
Sophomore guard Kurk Lee had 18 points and sophomore forward Alihan Demir tied his career high with 16 in Drexel's loss at Elon. The Phoenix opened up an early 28-10 lead and closed the game out as six Elon players reached double figures on the day.
 
Missouri transfer Tramaine Isabell, a junior guard, anchors a balanced scoring attack for Zach Spiker's club with 19.5 ppg. Lee (13.6 ppg), Sammy Mojica (12.4 ppg), Troy Harper (11.0 ppg), Demir (10.3) and Austin Williams (10.1) give the Dragons plenty of options. Isabell sat out the Elon game with an injury and his status for Tuesday's game is uncertain.
 
The UNCW-DU matchup may hinge on board play. With Cacok dominating inside, UNCW leads the CAA in rebounding at 42.2 caroms each game. Drexel ranks second with 39.0 per game. Two of the league's top three rebounders, Cacok (1st) and Williams (3rd), will battle under the iron for any loose balls.
 
McGrath said, "They have a lot of pieces with six guys averaging in double figures. They have a lot of people in and out of the lineup. It's hard to say who's going to be healthy and who's going to play. We just have to familiarize our guys with what they run and prepare like everyone might play."
 
UNCW owns a 17-12 advantage in the series and has captured four in a row over the Dragons. The Seahawks are 9-4 lifetime vs. Drexel in Wilmington, including an 87-74 decision last January when the high-flying Cacok set a single game record with 24 rebounds at the sold out arena.

Live Seahawk Digital Network (SDN) coverage of the UNCW-Drexel contest begins at 6:45 p.m. with Mike Vaccaro, the "Voice of the Seahawks," and Marty Feurer calling the action. Visit UNCWsports.com/SDN for live audio coverage. In addition, a radio broadcast of the game may be heard on "The Ticket" 95.9 FM and WKXB (99.9 FM-HD3).
 
For more information on the UNCW men's basketball team, visit UNCWsports.com and click on the men's basketball button. Additional information is also available on UNCW's social media channels: Facebook (UNCW Men's Basketball), Twitter (@UNCWmenshoops), Instagram (UNCWBasketball).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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