Road Beckons For Red-Hot Seahawks

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Four games. All on the road. In a seven-day stretch.

That's the grueling gauntlet facing the Colonial Athletic Association's lone unbeaten men's basketball team when UNCW navigates the first step on Monday night with a 7 p.m. tipoff against longtime rival Charleston at TD Arena.

The Seahawks, winners of five in a row, hiked their record to 8-5 overall and 2-0 in the CAA with a stirring come-from-behind 73-66 victory over Elon last Wednesday at Trask Coliseum.

Monday's clash will be carried locally on The Breeze 95.9 FM and aired on the CAA's streaming partner, FloHoops.com. Play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro will be on the call.

"We've been preparing for this all year, so we're just taking it one game at a time," said Takayo Siddle, UNCW's second-year head coach. "Our guys have been working hard in practice and carrying that over into games. We're playing good basketball right now, so our approach won't be any different as we head into these four games."

UNCW's veteran duo of Jaylen Sims and Mike Okauru has elevated its game during the five-game streak. Sims continues to top the squad in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg), while the versatile Okauru ranks second in scoring (11.8 ppg), fifth in rebounding and first in assists (3.0 apg).

The Seahawks stand 2-4 away from Trask Coliseum this season – 2-3 in true road games and 0-1 at a neutral site. UNCW is averaging 60.0 points and shooting 36.0 percent in five true road contests this season.

Charleston enters Monday's game with a 9-5 ledger after topping Elon, 65-61, on Jan. 9, 2022, at TD Arena. The Cougars are 6-2 on their home floor and had their home game on Monday, Jan. 11, 2022, vs. William & Mary rescheduled for Jan. 25. First-year head coach Pat Kelsey and his club feature a strong nucleus of newcomers and have won seven of the season's first nine CAA Rookie of the Week accolades.

The Seahawks continue their treacherous road trip this week with visits to James Madison (Jan. 20), Towson (Jan. 22) and Northeastern (Jan. 24).

UNCW-CofC Net Notes

In 30 games between the two clubs, the series is dead even at 15 wins apiece. The regional foes collided for the first time on Jan. 29, 1990, and became bigger rivals on Jan. 22, 2014, when the Cougars claimed a 75-70 victory in Charleston's inaugural season in the CAA.
The two teams have split the last 10 games, but the Seahawks swept the last series with a pair of wins during the 2019-20 campaign. Thirteen of the games have been decided by five points or less.
CofC begins its ninth year in the CAA in 2021-22. The Seahawks own an 11-6 advantage over the Cougars in conference play, including three series sweeps. The Seahawks reeled off eight straight victories in the series before CofC edged UNCW, 67-66, on Feb. 2, 2017, marking the only home loss that season in 14 games for the Seahawks.
In the last game between the two teams, UNCW used a 17-4 run over a seven-minute stretch early in the second half to sweep the series against Charleston with a 68-55 victory on Feb. 22, 2020, at Trask Coliseum. Redshirt sophomore Marten Linssen notched his second career double-double with 16 points and a career-best 13 rebounds and was joined in double figures by junior guards Mike Okauru (17) and Ty Gadsden (13) and freshman guard Shykeim Phillips (10). Charleston struggled offensively, shooting 35.6 percent on the night and just 1-of-21 from long distance. UNCW shot 46.6 percent and outscored the Cougars, 21-3, from deep.
Monday's contest is one of three games against South Carolina opponents for the Seahawks this season. UNCW downed Coastal Carolina, 65-53, on Nov. 18, 2020, in its last game against a Palmetto State opponent, with two games ahead against the Cougars as part of CAA play. The Seahawks own a 62-47 (.569) record against 13 teams from the state of South Carolina through the years.
The Seahawks own a combined 35-32 (.522) record against three Charleston opponents: CofC (15-15), The Citadel (1-2) and Charleston Southern (19-15).
The Seahawks and Cougars did not have a common opponent during the non-conference portion of the schedule. The two rivals opened up the CAA slate with pairings against Delaware and Elon. UNCW swept the two opponents, while Charleston finished with a split.
The Seahawks have reeled off five straight wins - their longest string since the end of the 2016-17 season - and it's clear why. The team is shooting 44.3 percent from the floor, 42.0 percent from deep and 74.5 percent at the free throw line during the torrid stretch. On the defensive side, the Seahawks have limited opponents to 41.3 percent shooting and just 63.2 points per game.
The Seahawks are off to a 2-0 start in CAA play for the first time since 2016-17. Kevin Keatts' club opened that championship year with eight straight league victories and finished 15-3 during the regular season.
Monday's contest pits the CAA's top two offensive rebounding units. Charleston (14.1) ranks first in the CAA standings in offensive rebounding and UNCW (12.5) stands second.

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

#0 Ty Gadsden: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#23 Marten Linssen: F; 6' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

#30 Jaylen Sims: G; 6' 6"; Sophomore

#2 Shykeim Phillips: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

#4 Mike Okauru: G; 6' 3"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#0 Ty Gadsden
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#23 Marten Linssen
: 6' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore
: F

#30 Jaylen Sims
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#2 Shykeim Phillips
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

#4 Mike Okauru
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

UNC Wilmington Athletics

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Events/Results

Road Beckons For Red-Hot Seahawks

Players Mentioned

#0 Ty Gadsden

#23 Marten Linssen

#30 Jaylen Sims

#2 Shykeim Phillips

#4 Mike Okauru

Players Mentioned

#0 Ty Gadsden

#23 Marten Linssen

#30 Jaylen Sims

#2 Shykeim Phillips

#4 Mike Okauru