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Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Begin Challenging Stretch

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team opens a challenging stretch of three games in six days with an interesting early-season tilt on Monday – a pairing against longtime foe East Carolina.
 
The Seahawks, 2-1, and Pirates, 3-0, renew their storied rivalry following a one-year hiatus. The eastern North Carolina clubs are set to meet for the 67th time in a 5 p.m. clash inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. No fans will be in attendance.
 
The UNCW-ECU matchup will be carried locally on The Breeze, 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro calling the action. The game may also be heard worldwide on the station's website, www.959thebreeze.com. A video stream of the contest is available on ESPN+.
 
UNCW brings a two-game winning streak to Greenville following a 10-day layoff for end-of-the-semester exams. In their last appearance, the Seahawks dominated Sun Belt Conference member Troy, 73-50, to capture the championship of the Mako Medical Asheville Classic at UNC Asheville's Kimmel Arena.
 
Junior guard Jaylen Sims was the star of the MTE tourney, bucketing 80 points over three games. He was rewarded by being named the Colonial Athletic Association's first Player of the Week of the season.
 
"Jaylen's a basketball player," said Siddle. "I just tell him to read and react. He's been doing a very good job of that."
 
East Carolina and well-traveled head coach Joe Dooley are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign after dispatching Radford, 63-50, early Saturday. The Pirates are also playing the third of four contests in a 10-day span.
 
ECU did not play in the season-opening Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., and has had four of its first seven games cancelled due to the pandemic.
 
In Saturday's 13-point decision over the Highlanders, the unbeaten Pirates held Radford to just 23 second-half points and 37.5 percent shooting from the field, including 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from the arc. Junior forward Jayden Gardner, as usual, led the Pirates, pouring in 20 points with eight rebounds in 34 minutes.
 
"It's a great rivalry," said Siddle, who is facing the Pirates for the third time, but the first as a head coach. "We all love it around here and I think their fans do, too. They present a different challenge for us. They are bigger at each position. It's going to test our physicality and ability to rebound the basketball. Much like the Troy game, it will be speed vs. power."
 
After Monday's tilt, the Seahawks return to the coast for their home debut on Wednesday vs. NAIA member St. Andrews in a 7 p.m. tip. It's one of only two home games for UNCW during the non-conference portion of the slate.
 
Seahawk Storylines
  • Monday marks the 67th meeting between the two teams and the 34th clash at Minges Coliseum. UNCW leads the series overall, 37-29, but the Pirates have claimed 20 of the 33 meetings in Greenville.
     
  • UNCW has taken six of the last 10 games, including a 95-86 verdict two years ago at Trask Coliseum. The Seahawks have also won 13 of the last 18 games with the Pirates.
     
  • During ECU's 17-year membership in the CAA, the Seahawks went 26-11 (.702) against their rivals. The two teams met three times in the CAA Tournament, with the Seahawks winning twice.
     
  • Tonight marks the 10th time the Seahawks have faced ECU's Joe Dooley. UNCW has won seven of nine matchups with the veteran coach, including five in a row.
     
  • The Seahawks have played seven of the 12 schools in the American Athletic Conference and compiled a 41-42 record against the loop. Monday's game is the first between the CAA and AAC this season.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

G
6' 6"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

6' 6"
Junior
G