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Men's Basketball Brandon Sans

Seahawks Welcome Tar Heels To Trask

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Head Coach C.B. McGrath's UNCW Seahawks welcome No. 9 North Carolina to Trask Coliseum for the first time on Friday, Nov. 8, in a much-anticipated game at the 5,200-seat arena.

UNCW interviews by FloHoops
 
Both teams are coming off victories at home in their 2019-20 openers. The Seahawks cruised past Johnson & Wales, 103-83, on Tuesday and the Tar Heels pulled away from Notre Dame, 76-65, late Wednesday at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill.
 
Friday marks the fifth matchup of the young series. The Tar Heels, 4-0 against the Seahawks, are the third ranked opponent to play in Trask's 43-year history, joining Wake Forest (1977) and UNC Charlotte (1992).
 
"It will be an exciting atmosphere at Trask with the Tar Heels coming for the first time in program history," said McGrath.  "The sellout is great for the university and our program. We realize there will be some baby blue in the stands; Carolina draws a crowd wherever they go. Our fans in teal are going to support us as we look forward to a great night.
 
"It's hard to describe the type of pace UNC will attack us with out in transition. Fans see it on television, but we don't play against it often. Our players realize there's another level we'll have to play at to compete in the game."
 
The game carried locally on Modern Rock 98.7/ModernRock987.com. Veteran play-by-play man Mike Vaccaro will be on the call.
 
It can also be viewed on any mobile device or laptop via FloSports, the Colonial Athletic Association's subscription-based digital partner, on flosports.tv/caa. The cost is $12.50 per month or 95.88 per year (7.99 per month).
 
UNCW used a 19-7 run over a 4:18 minute stretch midway through the second half to pull away from the Wildcats in their debut on Tuesday. Five Seahawks scored in double figures, led by sophomore guard Jaylen Sims' career-best 19 points.
 
The Tar Heels defeated the Fighting Irish in a rare Atlantic Coast Conference season opener. UNC trailed by one point at halftime before a 27-11 second half spurt helped the seven-time national champions break out from the Fighting Irish.
 
Freshman guard Cole Anthony had an impressive debut for the Tar Heels with 34 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. He poured in 23 points in the second half as the Tar Heels took the lead with 12:56 remaining and never looked back. Junior forward Garrison Brooks also contributed 10 points to go with nine rebounds in the victory.
 
UNC powered past UNCW last season, 97-69, at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Junior guard Jay Estime' delivered 12 points and four rebounds, while connecting on 3-for-5 from three-point range against the Tar Heels.
 
Following Friday's game, the Seahawks return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 12, when longtime foe Campbell visits for a 7 p.m. contest. It marks UNCW's first three-game homestand to open a season since the 2015-16 campaign.
 
STORYLINES
 
GET TO THE POINT: UNCW sophomore Kai Toews lines up against UNC freshman Cole Anthony in a clash of two of the top underclassmen guards in the country. Toews ranked second in the nation last season with 7.7 assists-per-game and was named a preseason All-CAA honorable mention, while Anthony was the top guard of the 2019 recruiting class according to ESPN.
 
ROSTER RECONSTRUCTION: Both rosters feature several new faces who didn't take part in last season's rendezvous in the Smith Center. UNCW will dress eight newcomers. UNC has six new players from last season.
 
PIERCE VS. UNCW: Senior guard Justin Pierce renews his rivalry with the Seahawks after spending the previous three seasons at William & Mary. The former Tribe standout has averaged 12 points and six rebounds in three games at Trask Coliseum.
 
MASTER VS. THE APPRENTICE: McGrath spent 14 years on Williams' staff at UNC prior to accepting the UNCW job. Before that, he was a four-year letterman under Williams at Kansas and served four more years on his staff in Lawrence after graduation.
 
NICE TO SEE YOU: UNCW assistant coach Jackie Manuel played under Williams at UNC from 2003-05. Noted for his defensive prowess as a player, Manuel was a tri-captain on the Tar Heels' 2005 national championship team under Williams and McGrath.
 
SEAHAWK SELLOUT: Friday's game was declared a sellout on Oct. 24.  It's the first sellout of the 5,200-seat venue since UNCW's 90-70 victory over Hofstra on Feb. 10, 2018. Overall, it is the 56th sellout in the arena's 43-year history.
 
CRAZY 8'S: This will be UNCW's eighth game against a ranked opponent since 2010. Previous opponents include #9 Florida (2010), #4 Ohio State (2010), #19 North Carolina (2013), #4 Louisville (2014), #19 Duke (2016), #24 Virginia (2017), and #14 North Carolina (2018).
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Players Mentioned

Jay Estime

#12 Jay Estime'

G
6' 5"
Junior
Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

G
6' 6"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Jay Estime

#12 Jay Estime'

6' 5"
Junior
G
Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

6' 6"
Sophomore
G