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Men's Basketball 1/15/2020 11:17:00 PM Joe Browning
Seahawks Face Potent Pride On Thursday
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's basketball team tries to slow down the Colonial Athletic Association's top offense on Thursday when Hofstra's explosive Pride visit Trask Coliseum for a 7 p.m. matchup.
The Seahawks, 5-14 and 0-6 in the CAA, are still trying to break into the winning column in conference play following an 80-63 loss last Saturday at Elon. UNCW has opened league play with a 0-6 mark and has dropped 11 consecutive games overall. Hofstra brings a 13-5 record, 4-1 in the CAA, into the tip.
Thursday will mark the first game for the Seahawks under interim head coach Rob Burke, who was elevated on Monday with the departure of C.B. McGrath.
In the loss to Elon, the Seahawks built a five-point lead at intermission, 38-33, but the Phoenix came out hot after the break and clamped down defensively to kick off the final period with a decisive 24-1 spurt.
Junior guard Mike Okauru and freshman forward Imajae Dodd of UNCW registered career highs in the Elon game. Okauru scored a career-best 15 points, while Dodd pulled down a high of 10 rebounds in a losing cause.
Hofstra and seventh-year head coach Joe Mihalich travel to the Carolina coast after winning seven of their last eight games. The Pride have been idle since last Thursday when senior guard Eli Pemberton scored the game-winner with 0.5 seconds left in regulation for a thrilling 74-72 win at Northeastern. Pemberton finished with a team-high 24 points and added four rebounds, while senior guard Desure Buie collected 23 points, four assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Sophomore forward Isaac Kante notched his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Hofstra tops the CAA heap in scoring offense with 78.8 points per game and ranks second in field goal percentage, connecting on 47.9 percent from the floor. Buie, the CAA's scoring leader, is averaging 25.4 ppg and Pemberton is adding 14.8 ppg. Kante is tied for fourth in rebounding at 7.8 rpg and leads the loop in field goal percentage at 75.8 percent.
The last matchup between the two teams was a memorable one, especially the Seahawks. On Feb. 16, 2019, senior forward Devontae Cacok punctuated an entertaining 87-79 victory with a dunk in the final seconds to help UNCW upset first place Hofstra on "Senior Night" at Trask Coliseum. Cacok anchored five players in double figures with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Senior guard Justin Wright-Foreman, the NCAA's third leading scorer, poured in 30 points for the Pride. Both Cacok (Los Angeles) and Wright-Foreman (Utah) each landed on NBA rosters.
The Seahawks are heading down the home stretch of the season, with only 12 games remaining - seven at home and five on the road.
Following Thursday's clash with the Pride, the Seahawks close out their two-game conference set on Saturday with a 7 p.m. start vs. Northeastern. The Huskies eliminated the Seahawks in last year's CAA Tournament.
The UNCW-HU contest will be carried over the air on The Breeze, 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro on the call and may be heard worldwide on the station's website,
http://www.959thebreeze.com. A video stream of the game will be available on FloSports.com.
Seahawk Storylines
UNCW and HU lock horns for the 43rd time since Hofstra joined the CAA in 2001-02. The Seahawks own a narrow 22-20 edge in the series, but have taken three of the last four and seven of the last 10 meetings between the two clubs.
The Seahawks and Pride have played several tight games. Seven of the last 10 pairings between the two teams have been decided by 10 points or less.
UNCW has swept three in a row over the Pride. Hofstra's last win in Wilmington came on Feb. 25, 2016, in a 70-69 nailbiter.
The Seahawks are 10-8 vs. the Pride at Trask Coliseum. Hofstra has lost its last three games in Wilmington by 9, 20 and 8 points.
UNCW stands 8-7 against Mihalich since he took over the Pride program seven years ago.
The Seahawks have won 56.9 percent of their games (33-25) against 10 teams from the state of New York through the years.
The Seahawks rank third in the conference in home attendance, averaging 3,098 fans after nine home games, trailing only Charleston (3,970) and William & Mary (3,376).
The Seahawks are converting 38 percent of their field goal attempts and averaging 63.3 points in CAA action. In six conference games, UNCW's highest output was 68 points in the league opener at Delaware on Dec. 28 in Newark.
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Hofstra (Thursday - 7 PM); Northeastern (Saturday, Jan 18 - 7 PM)
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