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Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Make Debut At Qubein Center

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team continues its sprint toward the Christmas holiday and conclusion of the non-conference slate this weekend with its first look at High Point's fresh Qubein Center (pictured below).
 
The Seahawks (4-5) take on the Panthers (5-5) in a 2 p.m. tip at the $170 million, 4,200-seat venue that opened in late September. Both teams are seeking to build some momentum heading into their respective conference schedules on the horizon.
 
Saturday's early start will be carried locally on The Breeze, 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro on the radio call. Video will be provided on the ESPN+ platform.
 
Second-year Head Coach Takayo Siddle of UNCW expects another challenging game as the Seahawks take on their third state opponent of the '21-22 campaign.
 
qubein_arena"High Point has a very good basketball team," said Siddle. "(HPU Head Coach) Tubby Smith is a legend. I have a lot of respect for him. He's a national championship coach and they do a very good job. They're very similar to us. They score the ball well, defend the ball well with toughness. It should be a very good basketball game. We're looking forward to it."
 
The Seahawks are coming off an 85-55 manhandling of Mount Olive on Wednesday night at Trask Coliseum. Siddle's crew shot a season high 50.7 percent and three of the five starters reached double figures in the romp. The win snapped a three-game skid for the Seahawks, who stand 3-1 on their home floor this season.
 
Freshman guard Trazarien White continues to emerge for the Seahawks. The Mansfield, Texas, product paced the team in scoring for the second time with a career high 21 points, including 9-of-13 from the field. He added seven rebounds and three assists in an all-around performance in the victory.
 
The Panthers of the Big South Conference, meanwhile, return to the floor following an eight-break after dropping a 67-66 decision to South Carolina State on Dec. 10 in Rock Hill, S.C. HPU, 4-2 at home, is anchored by talented guard John-Michael Wright, who is averaging 21.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
 
The highly-respected Smith is in his fourth season with the Panthers after piloting programs at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas Tech and Memphis. Smith led the Wildcats to the 1998 National Championship and is one of two head coaches to direct five different programs to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Following Saturday's early start, the Seahawks have one non-conference game remaining before opening the Colonial Athletic Association slate on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, against Delaware at Trask Coliseum. UNCW faces longtime rival Campbell in the 107th meeting between the two schools on Wednesday, Dec. 23, in a Noon tip-off at Trask Coliseum.
 
Remaining Non-Conference Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 18, at High Point, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 22, vs. Campbell, Noon
 
UNCW-HPU Net Notes
  • The Seahawks are playing away from home for the sixth time in 10 games. UNCW stands 1-3 in true road games and 0-1 in neutral site contests this year. The lone road victory came on Nov 20, 2021, at Delaware State.
  • Saturday marks the 17th meeting between the two schools. The Panthers own a 10-6 advantage in the series, but the two teams have only played twice since the Seahawks joined the Division I ranks in 1976-77. UNCW took both of those matchups in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
  • The Seahawks and Panthers have featured a pair of common opponents in 2021-22, going a combined 4-0 against Mount Olive and Guilford. UNCW defeated MOC, 85-55, and Guilford, 77-68, while HPU rolled past the Trojans, 95-70, and trimmed the Quakers, 64-59.
  • The Seahawks have faced nine of the 12 schools in the Big South Conference, compiling a 122-94 record (.565) against the loop.
  • Graduate transfer James Baker, Jr., has made an immediate impact for the Seahawks this year. The Louisville native has started all nine games and ranks fourth on the team in scoring (7.2 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.9). He's led the team in rebounding twice and reached double figures in three contests.
  • Reserve forward Khadim Samb played nine minutes in Wednesday's game and collected a career-high five points and four rebounds. He drained his first three-pointer with the Seahawks on the left side of the arc with 4:55 remaining in the romp over the Trojans.
For complete coverage of UNCW men's basketball, follow the Seahawks on the official home of UNCW Athletics, UNCWSports.com, or through our social media channels: @UNCWmenshoops (Twitter), facebook.com/UNCWMensBasketball (Facebook), @UNCWBasketball (Instagram).
 
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Players Mentioned

James Baker, Jr.

#3 James Baker, Jr.

G
6' 7"
Graduate Student
Trazarien White

#13 Trazarien White

F
6' 6"
Freshman
Khadim Samb

#22 Khadim Samb

G
6' 7"
Junior

Players Mentioned

James Baker, Jr.

#3 James Baker, Jr.

6' 7"
Graduate Student
G
Trazarien White

#13 Trazarien White

6' 6"
Freshman
F
Khadim Samb

#22 Khadim Samb

6' 7"
Junior
G