http://uncwsports.com/news/2016/1/26/JMU_preview.aspx
CAA Leaders Collide At The Convo
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team shoots for its longest winning streak of the season when the Seahawks carry their five-game string to Harrisonburg, Va., Thursday night to face James Madison's Dukes in a matchup of two of the Colonial Athletic Association's three first-place teams.
The Seahawks, 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the CAA, take on the Dukes at 7 p.m. at the JMU Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Va. JMU stands 16-5 and 6-2 as the CAA race heats up, with fellow frontrunner Hofstra playing host to Elon.
"JMU is playing the best basketball of anybody in the league right now," said Kevin Keatts, UNCW's second-year head coach. "It's a big challenge for us because they can score at four different positions, and they're playing very good basketball.
"Ron Curry can score, but he's doing a good job of getting everyone else involved. We'll have to do a good job of staying composed and sharing the basketball. We're playing a very good basketball team on Thursday."
The talented Curry, a 6-3, 200-pounder out of Pennsauken, N.J., is one of the CAA's most versatile performers. He averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds last week in wins over Drexel and Elon and has reached double digits in a league-high 13 straight games.
The Seahawks have won five in the row for the second time this year and can top that string with a win Thursday night. UNCW opened the campaign by reeling off five consecutive non-conference victories, cranked out a four-game streak in late December, and is now on another five-game roll.
Featuring a well-balanced offensive attack, UNCW is coming off a 77-71 road win over Drexel on Sunday in snowy Philadelphia. Chris Flemmings, Denzel Ingram and C.J. Bryce combined for 59 points and fueled a second-half comeback as UNCW fought off the Dragons, 77-71. Flemmings and Ingram scored 21 points each and Bryce chipped in 17 for the Seahawks, who overcame a 37-32 halftime deficit by shooting 50 percent in the second half.
On Monday, Bryce landed CAA Rookie-of-the-Week honors for the third time this season. The Charlotte product averaged 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting an impressive 63.6 percent as the Seahawks completed regular season sweeps of Delaware and Drexel. For the week, he drained 14-of-22 shots and made his only three-point field goal attempt.
JMU, meanwhile, extended its winning streak to five games by breaking away from Elon, 82-64, in the second half last Saturday in Elon, N.C. Curry, Joey McLean and Paulius Satkus each scored 14 points for the Dukes, who limited the Phoenix to just 25 percent shooting in the final period.
In the last matchup of the two teams, senior guard Addison Spruill of UNCW poured in 18 points in his final home game and UNCW had 15 assists on 27 baskets in a 74-54 manhandling of James Madison on Feb. 25, 2015, in the regular season home finale at Trask Coliseum. Spruill anchored a balanced attack that featured six players with at least eight points for UNCW, which finished with a 10-2 home record. Junior guard Ron Curry had a game-high 23 points for JMU.
Senior guard Freddie Jackson erupted for a game-high 26 points, including 19 in the first half, to power UNCW past JMU, 77-65, in the last game between the two teams at the JMU Convocation Center on Feb. 4, 2015. The Seahawks won for the first time in Harrisonburg since 2006 by making 9-of-15 behind the arc and committing a season-low six turnovers. Addison Spruill and Craig Ponder added 18 points apiece, while Ron Curry had 21 for the Dukes, who trailed by as many as 19 points in the contest.
UNCW owns a slim 35-33 edge in the 68-game series. The Seahawks have won two in a row over the Dukes, but JMU has taken six of the last 10 meetings. UNCW's Kevin Keatts is 2-0 against the Dukes after his club took both games last year by an average of 16.0 ppg.
UNCW is making its 30th appearance at the purple and gold JMU Convocation Center. The Seahawks stand 11-18 at the Convo and have split their last 10 games in Harrisonburg.
The Seahawks, tackling four road games in five outings, return to the Port City on Saturday to entertain the College of Charleston in the annual Homecoming Game at Trask Coliseum.
All of UNCW's games are carried live on the Seahawk Digital Network (SDN). Fans can visit UNCWsports.com, click the Live Events button, and select the game for a free audio feed of the contest. Seahawk basketball may also be heard over the radio airwaves on The Beach 94.1 FM/WLSG 1340 AM in Wilmington and New Hanover County and Freedom 97.1 FM/WSME 1120 AM in Jacksonville and Onslow County.
For more information on the Seahawks, like the team on Facebook (UNCW Men's Basketball) or follow the team on Twitter (@UNCWMensHoops).