Seahawks Close Out Regular Season In Newark

NEWARK, Del. – It's a logjam at the top of the Colonial Athletic Association standings and Saturday afternoon's road finale at Delaware will determine the likely path for the UNCW men's basketball team when the club begins pursuit of its seventh CAA championship next weekend in the nation's capital.

The Seahawks, 20-8 overall and 14-3 in the conference, and Delaware's Blue Hens, 19-10 and 10-6, tie a bow on the regular season with a 4 p.m. tip-off at the Bob Carpenter Center. Ironically, UNCW and UD met in the first game of CAA play and now square off in the finale.

The Seahawks are clinging to a half game lead over second place Towson (13-3) in the CAA's regular season standings. Hofstra (11-5) holds down third place and Delaware stands fourth (10-6).

Saturday's road and regular season finale will be carried locally on The Breeze 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro on the call.

"It's hard to believe that we've reached the end of the regular season," said Takayo Siddle, UNCW's second-year head coach. "It's been an unbelievable season for our club. Our guys have bought in from day one and I'm so proud of them. We still have some work to do, but what they've done to this point has been very impressive."

UNCW secured its eighth 20-win season in school history and first since 2016-17 by surging past Drexel, 69-63, late Thursday in Philadelphia. The Seahawks trailed with 2:33 left on the clock, but made several key plays down the stretch to complete a sweep of the Dragons at the Daskalakis Center.

Delaware, meanwhile, staged a late rally of its own, but came up short in a 96-93 loss to Charleston at the Bob Carpenter Center. The Blue Hens were down by 11 points, 93-81, with 1:19 remaining and roared back by scoring 11 points in a 44-second streak to make things interesting. Ultimately, Ryan Allen's last-second three-point attempt was off the mark as the dramatic comeback fizzled.

The Seahawks face a big defensive challenge in the Blue Hens. Delaware brings in the CAA's best shooting team and tops the loop in field goal percentage (.474), and three-point field goal percentage (.361). Saturday's matchup features two of the CAA's top-5 scorers: UNCW's Jaylen Sims (2nd-15.8 ppg) and UD's Jamir Nelson, Jr., (5th-14.1 ppg).

The Seahawks are actually facing talented Delaware rookie Jyare Davis for the first time today. Davis, who has won four consecutive CAA Rookie of the Week honors, did not play in the first matchup between the two teams on Dec. 29, 2021, in Wilmington. Davis had 20 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Blue Hens in Thursday's loss to Charleston.

UNCW is shooting for its fifth sweep of the season after taking both games this year from Charleston, William & Mary, Northeastern and Drexel. The Seahawks slipped past the Blue Hens, 70-68, in the CAA opener for both teams in late December.

Versatile guards Jaylen Sims and Shykeim Phillips scored 17 points apiece to propel the Seahawks in the first matchup with the Blue Hens. Sims made only two field goals, but cashed in at the free throw line, going 12-for-16 at the charity stripe to share team-high honors. Phillips scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half as the Seahawks notched their first CAA-opening win in five years. Delaware's Dylan Painter led all scorers with 22 points and finished just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. In a back-and-forth matchup that featured 11 ties and 15 lead changes, the result remained in doubt until the waning seconds when a three-pointer by Delaware's Ebby Asamoah in front of the Blue Hen bench bounced off the rim as time expired.

The Seahawks next go through final preparations for the 2022 CAA Men's Basketball Championships in Washington, D.C. UNCW will play an opponent to be determined on Sunday, Mar. 6, 2023, at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.

UNCW-UD Net Notes

In the last pairing between the two teams in Newark, six Blue Hens reach double figures in a balanced offensive attack as Delaware cruised past UNCW, 82-68, on Feb 29, 2020, in the regular season finale for both teams. The Seahawks were paced by sophomore forward Marten Linssen's 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Junior guard Kevin Anderson's all-around performance of 14 points, six rebounds, and eight assists anchored Delaware's attack.

The Seahawks have faced Delaware more than any other former America East member since UD, Hofstra, Towson and Drexel joined the league. UNCW holds a 24-18 advantage in the series with five CAA Tournament victories (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2017) over the Blue Hens.

The Blue Hens have won 11 of 17 games played between the two clubs at the Bob Carpenter Center. UNCW has dropped three straight in Newark. The Seahawks' last win on the home court of the Blue Hens came on Jan. 7, 2017, with a 91-81 triumph.

Delaware owns a 12-6 advantage over UNCW in the month of February.

UNCW is facing UD skipper Martin Ingelsby for the 13th time and stands 5-7 against the former Notre Dame aide.

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

#2 Shykeim Phillips: G; 6' 2"; Junior

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

Players Mentioned

#2 Shykeim Phillips
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G

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

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Seahawks Close Out Regular Season In Newark

Players Mentioned

#2 Shykeim Phillips

#30 Jaylen Sims

Players Mentioned

#2 Shykeim Phillips

#30 Jaylen Sims