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Steve Simoneau/Roman CBI

Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Battle Blue Raiders For CBI Crown

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – It all comes down to this.
 
Six days of game prep, shootarounds, film study, pregame meals and scouting have given the UNCW men's basketball team an opportunity that few other teams have each season – to close out the season with a victory.
 
"We came here to win a championship," said Seahawk basketball leader Takayo Siddle. "It's time to finish the job."
 
The Seahawks (26-9) of the Colonial Athletic Association and Blue Raiders (26-10) of Conference USA lace it up at 5 p.m. for the Roman College Basketball Invitational championship in a nationally televised matchup tapped for ESPN2 at the Ocean Center. The game can also be heard worldwide on UNCW's radio partner, 95.9 FM The Breeze, with Mike Vaccaro on the call.
 
The Seahawks put themselves in a position to win the 14th title with an 80-64 victory over Big Sky Conference foe Northern Colorado on Tuesday. Siddle's club broke out early on the Bears and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire and shooting 60 percent in a suffocating second half.
 
In a history-making season, UNCW will now set a school record by playing in its 36th game and playing deeper into March than ever before. It comes after successive hard-earned victories against VMI (93-78), Drake (76-75) and Northern Colorado in the 16-team event.
 
The blueprint has been a familiar one for the Seahawks - a stifling defense, careful ball control and opportunistic offense. All three were on display in the semifinals as UNCW held the Bears 15 points before their tournament average in the rout.
 
UNCW's contributions have up and down the lineup in the three games in Florida. Four players are averaging in double figures and the Seahawks are collecting 83.0 points per game. Junior guard Shykeim Phillips (15.7 ppg), senior guard Jaylen Sims (15.3 ppg), graduate guard Mike Okauru (14.7 ppg) and graduate guard James Baker, Jr. (11.7 ppg) have given the Seahawks a difficult offense to game plan against.
 
The Seahawks have shot 49.4 percent in the three games and a robust 84.7 at the free throw line against capable opponents from three different conferences.
 
MTSU brings its own set of challenges for the Seahawks later today. The Blue Raiders have been their own brand of wrecking crew in the Sunshine State party. Led by former UNC Asheville skipper Nick McDevitt, the Blue Raiders have run through California Baptist (64-58), Boston University (76-46) and Abilene Christian (85-69) to reach the title game. The 26 wins are the fourth most in MTSU's history.
 
In Tuesday's semifinal with the Texas-based Wildcats, MTSU won a game by double digits after trailing by double digits for only the second time this season. UNCW has erased a double-digit deficit a nation-leading nine occasions in 2021-22.
 
The Blue Raiders won the C-USA East Division under McDevitt, but lost in the league semifinals in a 102-98 triple overtime heartbreaker to UAB in Frisco, Texas.
 
UNCW and MTSU have only met once on the hardwood. The Blue Raiders prevailed, 68-63, in the opening game of the Challenge In Music City Invitational on Nov. 25, 2016. The Seahawks went on to capture the CAA championship and finish the year with a 29-6 record after falling to Virginia in Orlando.
 
UNCW vs. MTSU | Looking In The Mirror
-Both teams have 26 wins
-Both teams feature their league's Coach of the Year
-Both teams are seeking their first postseason championship
-Both teams feature young, up-and-coming head coaches
-Both teams rely on tenacious defenses
-Both teams are led by a player named Sims (UNCW's Jaylen and MTSU's Donovan)
-Both teams go by letters (UNCW v. MTSU)
 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Mike Okauru

#4 Mike Okauru

G
6' 4"
Graduate Student
Shykeim Phillips

#2 Shykeim Phillips

G
6' 2"
Junior
Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

G
6' 6"
Senior
James Baker, Jr.

#3 James Baker, Jr.

G
6' 7"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Mike Okauru

#4 Mike Okauru

6' 4"
Graduate Student
G
Shykeim Phillips

#2 Shykeim Phillips

6' 2"
Junior
G
Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

6' 6"
Senior
G
James Baker, Jr.

#3 James Baker, Jr.

6' 7"
Graduate Student
G