Seahawks Try To Build On Momentum

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team continues its second three-game home stand on Thursday when longtime conference rival James Madison pays a visit to the Port City for a Colonial Athletic Association matchup at Trask Coliseum.

Live Seahawk Digital Network (SDN) coverage of the contest begins at 6:45 p.m. with Mike Vaccaro, the "Voice of the Seahawks," and Marty Feurer calling the action. Visit UNCWsports.com/SDN for live audio and video coverage. In addition, a radio broadcast of the game may be heard on "The Ticket" 95.9 FM and WKXB (99.9 FM-HD3).

The Seahawks, 6-14 overall and 3-5 in the CAA, are coming off an uplifting 73-71 victory in overtime over Towson last Saturday night. It marked the third overtime game in the last four outings for Head Coach C.B. McGrath and his retooled club.

"We're playing with some confidence right now," McGrath said this week. "Our non-conference schedule didn't pan out like we thought it would. And we lost some close conference games early. We've battled back in the last couple weeks and our guys realize that we can be a good ball club when we put it together."

UNCW showed a lot of spunk in Saturday's exciting win over Towson, which was picked to finish second in the league in the annual preseason poll. UNCW trailed by 12 points with 11:57 remaining in regulation before rallying to force overtime and outlasting the Tigers in the extra session.

"We just made enough plays to get over the top and win," McGrath said of the Towson nailbiter. "Guys are playing different roles every night and other guys have stepped up. It's been fun to see."

While new faces have been contributing lately, the big three – junior forward Devontae Cacok, senior playmaker Jordon Talley and redshirt sophomore guard Ty Taylor – have been rock solid.

Cacok (Alpharetta HS/Riverdale, Ga.) continues to be a double-double machine and has cranked out a league-best 14 double-doubles and remains the leading rebounder in the NCAA Division I ranks. He leads the team in scoring (17.4) and rebounding (12.7).

Talley (Henrico HS/Richmond, Va.) is one of the CAA's top point guards. He ranks second on the team with 16.1 points each game and is dishing out 5.9 assists. He is making his 114th career appearance on Thursday, and ranks 17th on the school's scoring list with 1,088 points.

Taylor, meanwhile, has been a major catalyst in recent games. The Grandview, Mo., product ranks third on the team in scoring at 13.6 ppg, but has led the team in scoring the last two outings with 23 points at Charleston and 20 points vs. Towson. The Wichita State transfer has turned in big second halves in the last two outings.

Like the Seahawks, the Dukes, 6-15 and 2-6, are starting to come around, too. JMU edged Drexel, 75-73, last Saturday at the JMU Convocation Center and brings a modest two-game winning streak to Wilmington.

JMU features a balanced scoring attack, led by Toledo transfer Stuckey Mosley, who is collecting 19.1 ppg. Freshman guard Matt Lewis is contributing 11.9, senior guard Joey McLean is scoring 11.6 and rookie guard Darius Banks is adding 10.0 ppg.

"We're playing at home and we can't take anything for granted," added McGrath. "James Madison has also played in some very close games and they're starting to play better. They have a lot of new pieces and players. We'll have to do some things to get them out of their rhythm."

The Seahawks and Dukes are meeting for the 73rd time overall and 33rd time at Trask Coliseum. UNCW owns a 39-33 advantage in the series since the first clash on Dec. 16, 1979. The Seahawks have won six in a row over the Dukes since a 64-62 defeat on Feb. 15, 2014, in Harrisonburg, Va.

For more information on the UNCW men's basketball team, 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).