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The Showdown: Part II...Now Showing At Trask
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Less than two weeks after meeting in Charleston for a first-place showdown, UNCW and CofC square off again Thursday night – this time at animated Trask Coliseum – in a key Colonial Athletic Association pairing between the league's top two clubs.
UNCW (20-3, 9-1) and CofC (17-6, 8-2) had a nice rivalry cooking before the Cougars joined the CAA four years ago and that competition has only escalated. The Seahawks own a slim 12-10 lead in the series, but have won eight in a row over the Cougars, including a 65-59 verdict in the first meeting on Jan. 19 at TD Arena.
"We've played Charleston plenty of times and it's always a battle to the end," said UNCW third-year Head Coach Kevin Keatts, who stands 31-4 at home in three seasons. "I didn't think either team played particularly well on the offensive end in the first game. Both teams struggled offensively.
"It's obviously one of those games where you have to make shots. Charleston is a very good defensive team and you have to try to find a way to score against those guys."
The Seahawks went 1-1 last week in a pair of challenging league road games. UNCW set a JMU Convocation Center record with 16 three-pointers in Wednesday's 87-76 decision in Harrisonburg before falling for the first time in CAA play with a 96-78 loss at William & Mary.
"They were two different games," Keatts reflected. "We played extremely well in the second half at JMU and shared the basketball. We shot the ball well and made 16 three's.
"At William & Mary, we played against a very good team on their home floor. They played with a lot of intensity and made a lot of shots. Those shots that went down for us on Thursday. For whatever reason, we couldn't make them on Saturday. When you play on the road in this conference, it's tough.
"You want to win all of your home games and try to find a way to split or win as many road games as you can. It's unrealistic to think that you're going to go through the conference and not lose a game, especially in the CAA. We've got some very good teams and very good coaches in the CAA. When you play in the conference, you have to play every night or you might have an opportunity to lose a game."
The Seahawks, an unblemished 9-0 this season at Trask Coliseum, feature seven players averaging at least 7.0 points per game. Sophomore guard C.J. Bryce (16.8), senior guard Chris Flemmings (15.7), senior guard Denzel Ingram (15.2) and sophomore forward Devontae Cacok (13.3) are collecting double digits, while graduate guard Ambrose Mosley (8.2) and junior playmaker Jordon Talley (7.4) add scoring depth.
Talley played a key role in UNCW's win in Charleston, pumping in 17 points off the bench as the Seahawks prevailed in a tight affair. Bryce and Flemings each registered double-doubles in the key win for the Seahawks, while junior guard Joe Chealey had 17 points for the Cougars, who were held to 28.8 percent from the floor for the straight game in the series at Charleston.
Thursday's matchup pits the CAA's top offense against the loop's top defense. UNCW leads all CAA schools with 86.0 points per game. CofC is limiting opponents to only 66.6 points each outing.
Chealey and backcourt mate Grant Riller, one of the top freshmen in the CAA, have been red-hot over the last two weeks. The speedy Chealey leads the Cougars at 16.2 points per game and Riller ranks third on the club at 12.7. Sophomore Jarrell Brantley is contributing 13.2 points and 8.0 rebounds for Earl Grant's club.
"Joe Chealey and Grant Riller are a tough backcourt because they put a lot of pressure on your defense," said Keatts. "Both guys can score, both guys can penetrate and both are really good defenders. They are playing as good a basketball as anybody else in the conference."
The Seahawks are playing the first of eight games in the final month of the regular season. Thursday's game kicks off the only three-game homestand of the season for UNCW, which entertains Delaware in the annual Homecoming Game on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Live Seahawk Digital Network (SDN) coverage of the UNCW-CofC contest begins with Mike Vaccaro providing the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. Visit UNCWsports.com/SDN for live audio coverage. In addition, a radio broadcast of the game can be heard on WLSG 94.1 FM and 1340 AM (Wilmington) and WSME 97.1 FM and 1120 AM (Jacksonville).
For more information on the UNCW men's basketball team throughout the 2016-17 season, visit UNCWsports.com and click on the Men's Basketball button. Additional information is also available on UNCW's social media channels: Facebook (UNCW Men's Basketball), Twitter (@UNCWmenshoops), Instagram (UNCWBasketball).
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Game 22 - Charleston 7 PM Thursday 2/2
