Seahawks Open Series With Tribe

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Ten games into the 2021-22 Colonial Athletic Association docket, the Seahawks still have not faced longtime conference foe William & Mary. That all changes early Saturday when the Seahawks take on the Tribe at cavernous Kaplan Arena.

The Seahawks, 15-6 overall and 9-1 in conference play, take on the Tribe, 5-18 and 4-6, in a nationally televised contest in Williamsburg. The 4 p.m. clash is the first of back-to-back games for the Seahawks on CBS Sports Network.

A radio call of Saturday's tilt will be carried locally on The Breeze 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro providing the action.

Things tightened up a bit in the CAA standings following Thursday's results. The Seahawks, 9-1, own a one-game lead over Towson (8-2) and stand two games in front of Delaware (6-4). Towson picked up a game on the Seahawks after holding off Hofstra in Hempstead.

The Seahawks fell to Elon at the Schar Center, 78-65, on Thursday, but have still won 12 of their last 13 games. UNCW had its 12-game winning streak halted with the double-digit loss at Elon after the Phoenix caught fire in the second half.

Elon shot 59.6 percent from the floor, including a blistering 75 percent in the second half, in the upset. The Seahawks scored their lowest point total in 13 games and lost for the third time in as many trips to the Schar Center. Elon sophomore guard Darius Burford continued his success against the Seahawks. After scoring 23 points each in his first meetings against UNCW, the lightning-quick guard exploded for a season-high 27 points on 13-of-17 shooting on Thursday, many from close range.

W&M, meanwhile, has dropped three of its last four games, including a 23-point home loss to Charleston on Thursday night. Charleston led wire-to-wire and controlled both ends of the floor to beat the Tribe, 84-61, and win for the first time in Williamsburg since joining the CAA. The Tribe rallied in the final minutes of the first half to make it a five-point game at the break, but Charleston led by double digits for the final 11:52. W&M struggled on both ends of the floor in its most-lopsided conference loss this season. The Tribe shot 35.7 percent, its lowest mark since a Dec. 12, 2021, defeat at Fairfield.

Kaplan Arena has been a "House of Horrors" for the Seahawks, who have lost eight consecutive games in the 8,600-seat venue. UNCW's last victory in Williamsburg came on Jan. 21, 2012, in a narrow 68-66 decision. UNCW owns a 19-18 edge over the Tribe in the building.

In the last matchup between UNCW and W&M, the backcourt tandem of Luke Loewe and Connor Kochera pumped in 17 points apiece as the No. 7 seeded Tribe trimmed No. 10 UNCW, 73-60, in a first-round pairing of the CAA Men's Basketball Championship on March 6, 2021, at James Madison's Atlantic Union Bank Center. Kochera, the 2021 CAA Rookie of the Year, and Loewe, a Second-Team All-CAA pick, helped the Tribe get off to a hot start in the only meeting between the two teams during the 2020-21 season. The Seahawks shot a frigid 24.3 percent in the opening stanza to fall behind by 12 points and didn't fare much better in the final period, shooting 40.6 percent and closing out the contest with a season-low 31.9 percent.

In the last matchup between the two teams at Kaplan Arena, W&M led wire-to-wire to remain unbeaten in conference play with a 79-63 decision over UNCW on Jan. 9, 2020, at Kaplan Arena. Senior center Andy Van Vliet anchored four W&M players in double figures with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Senior forward Nathan Knight added a double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds. The Tribe started fast, held off several Seahawk runs and increased its lead to as many as 21 points down the stretch.

The Seahawks conclude their three-game league road trip early Monday with a visit to Hofstra's Mack Sports Complex to face the Pride. UNCW and Hofstra are set for a 5 p.m. tip on Long Island that will also be carried on CBS Sports Network.

UNCW-W&M Net Notes

The Seahawks are playing their 11th true road game on Saturday. UNCW stands 6-4 in road games and 4-1 in conference roadies.

The Seahawks and Tribe are meeting for the 78th time. UNCW leads the all-time series by a 45-32 margin. W&M has won six out of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.

Shooting woes popped up again on Thursday night for the Seahawks, who made just 34.5 percent of their shots. UNCW shot less than 40 percent for the eighth time this season and the first time since a 77-48 defeat at Jacksonville on Dec. 11, 2022.

The Tribe and Seahawks hold down the bottom of the league in field goal percentage. W&M ranks ninth at .411 and UNCW sits 10th at .409.

The Seahawks lead the loop in assist-turnover ratio for CAA games at +5.70. The Seahawks have committed less than 10 turnovers in nine games, including three of the last four outings: Northeastern (8), Hofstra (9) and Drexel (6).

James Baker, Jr., who joined the team this season from Morehead State, has scored 987 points in 141 games at Morehead and UNCW. The Louisville, Ky., product needs just 13 points to give the Seahawks a trio of 1,000-point scorers.

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

#3 James Baker, Jr.: G; 6' 7"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#3 James Baker, Jr.
: 6' 7"; Graduate Student
: G

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Seahawks Open Series With Tribe

Players Mentioned

#3 James Baker, Jr.

Players Mentioned

#3 James Baker, Jr.