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Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Wrap Up Busy Stretch With Phoenix

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team concludes a three-game home stand featuring three Colonial Athletic Association games in six days when the Seahawks take on Elon late Monday at Trask Coliseum.
 
The two teams met just 12 days ago at the Schar Center, where the Seahawks picked up their first win in four visits to the new venue.
 
UNCW, 14-5 overall and 4-2 in the CAA, and Elon, 2-16 and 0-5, square off at 7 p.m. in one of five games around the conference on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
 
The UNCW-Elon clash can be heard on 95.9 FM The Breeze, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro and color analyst Marty Feurer on the call, beginning at 6:45 p.m. Video is available on FloSports.com.
 
Following Monday's game, the Seahawks head up to Long Island to play Hofstra and Stony Brook later this week. The trip kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 19, with a 7 p.m. nationally-televised matchup with the Pride at the Mack Sports Complex.
 
"The season is full of highs and lows," said UNCW Head Coach Takayo Siddle. "We started off the season at 1-3. We can't let two losses turn into three. We have to dust it off, get ourselves back up and get ready to compete against a good Elon team."
 
Monday's contest with the Phoenix marks the 30th meeting between the two schools and the 19th as CAA foes. UNCW owns a slim 15-14 advantage in the series, including a 10-8 edge since Elon joined the loop for the 2014-15 season
 
In the last matchup between the two state rivals, UNCW equaled the school record for consecutive wins by claiming an 81-66 decision on Jan. 4 behind a career-high 26 points from sophomore guard Trazarien White. The springy White was nearly unstoppable from the opening tip, scoring 15 points in the first half and winding up with a career-high 26 points, along with seven rebounds. Senior forward Amari Kelly also turned in a career-high game, bucketing 15 points with seven boards. Playing their first game of the new year and facing Elon's Billy Taylor for the first time, the Seahawks jumped out early on the Phoenix and remained in control most of the night, leading by as many as 20 points before the final verdict.
 
In last year's game in the Port City, UNCW wiped out a 10-point deficit with a smothering 19-2 run late in the second half to rally past stunned Elon, 73-66, on Jan. 12, 2022, at Trask Coliseum. Senior guard Jaylen Sims scored 10 points in each period for a team-high 20 points as four of UNCW's five starters reached double digits. Graduate guard Mike Okauru added 13 points, junior guard Shykeim Phillips collected 11 markers and graduate guard James Baker, Jr., had 10 and eight rebounds. After Elon's Hunter Woods drained his fourth three-pointer of the game to give the Phoenix a 55-45 cushion at the 10:31 mark, White started a 12-0 spurt with a bucket on the left side and the rally turned into the decisive 19-2 run.
 
The Seahawks are facing Elon's Billy Taylor for only the second time following the victory at the Schar Center. Taylor took over the helm of the Elon program this season following stints at Lehigh, Ball State and Belmont Abbey.
 
Fans will recognize a familiar face on the Elon bench. Former Seahawk John Bowen is closing out his collegiate career for Taylor and the Phoenix. In two seasons with the Seahawks from 2019-21, Bowen appeared in 40 games, scoring 101 points (2.5 avg.), grabbing 82 rebounds (2.1 avg.) and blocking 16 shots (0.4 avg.). He played 18 minutes in the first meeting between the two clubs two weeks ago, scoring five points and grabbing three rebounds.
 
UNCW-ElON OPENING TIPS: The Seahawks and Phoenix have only played three common opponents this season (High Point, N.C. A&T and Charleston)…Senior guard Maleeck Harden-Hayes of UNCW has made 17 consecutive free throws…Four players are averaging in double figures for the Seahawks in CAA outings…UNCW is 6-1 against North Carolina opponents this year…UNCW and Elon have met twice in the CAA Tournament and the Seahawks have taken both games…The Seahawks stand 9-4 on MLK Day since the holiday was first observed in 1986, including 8-2 in contests at Trask Coliseum.
 
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Players Mentioned

Mike Okauru

#4 Mike Okauru

G
6' 4"
Graduate Student
Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

G
6' 6"
Senior
James Baker, Jr.

#3 James Baker, Jr.

G
6' 7"
Graduate Student
Amari Kelly

#23 Amari Kelly

F
6' 9"
Senior
Shykeim Phillips

#2 Shykeim Phillips

G
6' 2"
Senior
Trazarien White

#13 Trazarien White

F
6' 6"
Sophomore
Maleeck Harden-Hayes

#3 Maleeck Harden-Hayes

G
6' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Mike Okauru

#4 Mike Okauru

6' 4"
Graduate Student
G
Jaylen Sims

#30 Jaylen Sims

6' 6"
Senior
G
James Baker, Jr.

#3 James Baker, Jr.

6' 7"
Graduate Student
G
Amari Kelly

#23 Amari Kelly

6' 9"
Senior
F
Shykeim Phillips

#2 Shykeim Phillips

6' 2"
Senior
G
Trazarien White

#13 Trazarien White

6' 6"
Sophomore
F
Maleeck Harden-Hayes

#3 Maleeck Harden-Hayes

6' 7"
Senior
G