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Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Head To Virginia For Next Test

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Takayo Siddle, UNCW's first-year men's basketball head coach, used a popular betting analogy leading into Friday's inaugural matchup at Norfolk State in the Tidewater region of Virginia.
 
"It's one of those games that I like to call a 50-50 game," Siddle said early this week. "It's going to be a tough challenge for us - it could go either way. We're going to have to play some really good basketball to beat them."
 
The Seahawks, 3-3, and Spartans, 3-2, hook up for the first time at 4 p.m. in NSU's Echols Hall. The UNCW-NSU matchup will be carried locally on The Breeze, 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro providing the action. The game may also be heard worldwide on the station's website, www.959thebreeze.com and will be shown on Spartan Showcase Video Streaming with a cost of $10.
 
The Seahawks are coming off a 78-58 loss last Saturday to Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. The Rebels jumped out to a 20-point cushion at intermission before the Seahawks closed the gap to 15 points later in the final period. The Rebels regrouped to close out the non-conference win at The Pavilion.
 
UNCW returned to campus late Sunday and following a quick breather, has been preparing for NSU's up-tempo style and unique 3-2 defensive scheme.
 
"They have some experience, they have some guys that can fill it up and they really score at a high level," Siddle added. "Coach (Robert) Jones does a very good job. He's had 11 or more conference wins in each of his eight years. He runs a very good program.
 
"Our defense has to create a lot of our offense. We don't want to have to walk it up and play aganst a 3-2 zone. We have to go up and impose our will from start to finish."
 
NSU, which has piled up a 26-6 record in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play over the last two seasons, entered the year as the preseason favorite in the MEAC and the Spartans have not disappointed, with three wins over Division I opponents already (James Madison, Radford  and Hampton).
 
Devante Carter is the catalyst for the Spartans and leads the club in scoring (17.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). Five players average at least seven points for NSU, which is limiting opponents to 36.3 percent shooting.
 
The Seahawks, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back after scoring a season-low in points in Oxford. UNCW has alternated wins and losses over the last four outings.
 
UNCW returns to the Tidewater area for the first time since Old Dominion jettisoned from the CAA. UNCW's last game in the area came on Nov. 15, 2014, when the Monarchs claimed a 76-56 victory at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. It was Kevin Keatts' debut as UNCW's head coach and Siddle was on the bench that night as an assistant coach.
 
Following Friday's clash with the Spartans, the Seahawks travel to Buies Creek for a Monday (Dec. 21) matchup with longtime foe Campbell before closing out the non-conference slate with a home pairing vs. Delaware State on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
 
Seahawk Storylines
  • Two of UNCW's next three games are against MEAC opponents. The Seahawks tackle Norfolk State in Norfolk and then play Delaware State five days later (Dec. 23) at Trask Coliseum.
  • The Seahawks have met seven of the 13 schools in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and compiled an 18-21 record against the league. UNCW's last game against the MEAC came on Dec. 22, 2017, when Howard rallied to knock off the Seahawks, 80-75, at the Sun Bowl Invitational in El Paso, Texas.
  • The Seahawks are 1-2 in true road games following the loss at Ole Miss. UNCW's lone road win came at UNC Asheville on Nov. 27 in the opening game of the Mako Medical Asheville Classic. Combined with neutral site games, UNCW stands 2-3 away from home early in 2020-21.
  • The Seahawks have embraced Siddle's new defensive style and have forced opponents into 20 more turnovers (98-78) through six games. The Seahawks have forced the last two opponents into 10-second violations.
  • The Seahawks are playing their fifth afternoon game in seven contests this season. UNCW stands 2-2 in early tips.
  • The Spartans are one of three first-time opponents for the Seahawks in 2020-21: Ole Miss, Norfolk State and Delaware State.
 
 
 
 
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