Seahawks, Pride Meet In Series Opener

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The blazing UNCW men's basketball team takes on Hofstra's Pride late Saturday (Jan. 29, 2022) when two of the Colonial Athletic Association's hottest clubs get together for a key conference matchup at Trask Coliseum.

The Seahawks carry the nation's third longest winning streak – sitting at 10 games – into the 7 p.m. tip in the Port City. The club can match the longest winning streak in school history, 11 wins in a row, set by the 2015-16 squad.

UNCW, 13-5 overall and atop the CAA standings with a perfect 7-0 record, stands 7-1 on its home court.

The contest 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 and color analyst Marty Feurer will be on the call. UNCW's 2002 CAA Championship and NCAA Tournament team will be honored in a special halftime ceremony.

"I'm really proud of our guys because they're staying in the moment and haven't been distracted," said second-year head coach Takayo Siddle. "We're taking it one game at a time and concentrating on the task at hand.

"Hofstra will present a lot of challenges. They have a terrific new coach in Speedy Claxton, who has them playing very, very well. It going to be a big challenge for us. We're looking forward to having them come to Trask Coliseum. We'll need another big crowd to get behind us on Saturday."

Hofstra, 13-7 and 4-2, has won four in a row after defeating Charleston, 76-73, on Thursday night at TD Arena. The Pride swept the Seahawks in a pair of tight back-to-back games last January as the teams navigated the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hofstra brings the CAA's second most potent offense and the league's top scorer to Wilmington for Saturday's game. First-year coach Speedy Claxton's club is averaging 77.8 points per game behind junior transfer Aaron Estrada's 17.1 clip. Veteran guard Jalen Ray is chipping in 14.1 ppg and comes to Wilmington as the circuit's eighth best point producer.

Estrada notched his second 30-point game of the season on Thursday. He contributed five points as the Pride opened the matchup with a 13-0 spurt and gave Hofstra the lead for good with three minutes remaining. A gifted passer, Estrada also leads the CAA in assists with five dimes each outing.

In their last outing, the Seahawks completed their first sweep of Northeastern since 2017 with Thursday's 67-62 decision over the Huskies at Trask Coliseum. Senior guard Jaylen Sims continued his stellar play, scoring a team-high 20 points and sinking the game-clinching free throws in the final two minutes. The Charlotte native shared game-high scoring honors with his 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-5 at the free throw line. Junior guard Shykeim Phillips added 17 points and graduate guard Jaylen Fornes contributed 14 off the bench for the Seahawks, who shot 50.9 percent on the night.

The Seahawks are traversing the middle leg three home games in five days. That's after a stretch of four road games in eight days. Overall, it totals up to seven games in 15 days.

UNCW owns a 7-1 record at Trask Coliseum this season, including five in a row over Mount Olive, Campbell, Delaware, Elon and Northeastern. Head Coach Takayo Siddle stands 10-5 at home in two seasons and 4-4 in CAA home games.

The streaking Seahawks are tied for the third longest winning streak in the NCAA Division I ranks. Auburn tops the list with a 16-game string, followed by Boise State with 13 consecutive wins and UNCW, Wagner, Princeton and Morehead State with 10.

The Seahawks conclude their three-game home stay on Monday when defending CAA champion Drexel visits Trask for a 7 p.m. start

UNCW-Hofstra Net Notes

UNCW and HU lock horns for the 47th time since Hofstra joined the CAA in 2001-02. The Pride owns a slim 24-22 advantage in the series and has won four in a row against the Seahawks.

The Seahawks and Pride have played several tight games, competing in four overtime games in the series. Four of the last five games have been decided by nine points or less.

The Pride owns a narrow 11-10 edge over the Seahawks in the Port City. Hofstra has won three in a row at Trask Coliseum and seven of the last 10 meetings on the North Carolina coast.

Nine players on UNCW's roster have never faced Hofstra. Likewise, nine members of Hofstra's team are playing against the Seahawks for the first time.

The Seahawks have just 11 games remaining in the 2021-22 regular season - six at home and five on the road.

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

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

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

#1 Jaylen Fornes: G; 6' 3"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

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

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

#1 Jaylen Fornes
: 6' 3"; Graduate Student
: G

UNC Wilmington Athletics

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Seahawks, Pride Meet In Series Opener

Players Mentioned

#30 Jaylen Sims

#2 Shykeim Phillips

#1 Jaylen Fornes

Players Mentioned

#30 Jaylen Sims

#2 Shykeim Phillips

#1 Jaylen Fornes