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Men's Basketball 1/31/2020 11:26:00 AM

Seahawks Cap Road Trip With Dukes

HARRISONBURG, Virginia – The UNCW men's basketball team concludes a late-season three-game conference road trip when the Seahawks travel to Virginia's rolling Shenandoah Valley for a rematch early Saturday with James Madison's Dukes.

The Seahawks, 7-16 overall and 2-8 in the CAA, take on the Dukes, 8-13 and 1-9, in a 4 p.m. tip at the JMU Convocation Center. It will be the 34th and final appearance for the Seahawks at the Convo since the Dukes are moving into the new 8,500-seat Atlantic Union Bank Center next season.

JMU claimed the first meeting between the two clubs, 64-60, back on Jan. 2, 2020, at Trask Coliseum. The Seahawks are beginning their second trip through the CAA gauntlet after concluding the first half of the conference slate with a 2-7 ledger.

"JMU came to our house and took the win from us," interim head coach Rob Burke said. "They have four very good players. We have to capitalize on the rebirth of our energy, our press, how we're defending and how we're guarding. If we can capitalize on some things and make some shots, we have a chance to be right in the ball game, and that's all we can ask."

UNCW ran into the hottest club in the CAA on Thursday night and came up short in a 77-66 loss to streaking Towson at SECU Arena outside Baltimore. Senior guard Brian Fobbs anchored four players in double figures for the Tigers with 14 points. Sophomore forward Jaylen Sims paced the Seahawks with 16 points, including 9-of-10 at the free throw line. The Seahawks scored the first bucket of the game – their only lead of the contest – before Towson used superior outside shooting and a big rebounding average to its seventh home win in 10 tries. The Tigers outrebounded the Seahawks, 42-29, on the night.

Burke stands 2-2 overall and 1-1 in CAA road games since taking over the helm of the program on Jan. 13. The Seahawks are eighth in both scoring offense (69.7 ppg) and scoring defense (72.5 ppg) in the CAA. The Dukes rank third in offense (73.6 ppg) and last in defense (77.3 ppg).

Both clubs are kicking off their February schedule. The Seahawks finished 5-4 in November, 0-6 in December and 2-6 in January.

Tabbed to finish fourth in the CAA's preseason poll, JMU had a tough start to its conference season, dropping games to Hofstra and Northeastern, and after beating the Seahawks in Wilmington, have lost seven consecutive league games. Charleston pounded the Dukes, 87-68, behind Grant Riller's 36 points on Thursday night in Harrisonburg.

JMU's 64-60 verdict at UNCW on Jan. 2 represents the only conference win this season for the Dukes. It's also the last time JMU found the winning column - a span of 30 days.

In the last matchup between the clubs, JMU built a double digit lead in the second half and survived a late charge by UNCW to escape with the victory. The Dukes snapped a two-game losing streak behind junior guard Matt Lewis' 15 points. Sophomore forward Marten Linssen recorded his first career double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Seahawks. JMU scored the final nine points of the first half for a 31-22 advantage at intermission and led by as many as 14 in the final period before holding off the Seahawks.

One year ago, on Jan. 3, 2019, UNCW rallied from eight points down late in regulation and erased four-point deficits in overtime and double overtime to outlast JMU, 86-83, in an early-season matchup in Harrisonburg. Jeantal Cylla poured in a career-high 24 points to anchor three players in double figures for the Seahawks, who netted 46 points in the paint in the road win.

Seahawk Storylines

The 77-game series is the second longest on record for the Seahawks, ranking only behind longtime state foe Campbell.

UNCW owns a 41-36 edge vs. JMU. UNCW won the inaugural game on Dec. 16, 1979, and took 14 straight from Jan. 20, 2001, through Jan. 10, 2008.

The Seahawks have won seven of the last 10 pairings, but the Dukes have taken three of the last four. The Seahawks have averaged 77.8 ppg over the last 10 outings with the Dukes. JMU has averaged 72.5.

The Seahawks are 14-19 against the Dukes at the Convo. JMU has won six of the last 10 games in Harrisonburg, but UNCW has taken four of the last five contests in the alley.

The Seahawks are 1-2 against Virginia opponents this season, defeating Emory & Henry and losing to JMU and William & Mary. UNCW has five games against Virginia foes in 2019-20.

The Seahawks shot 37.5 percent from the field in the defeat at Towson, marking the 10th time in 23 games that the club has connected on below 40 percent of its attempts. It's also the fifth time in the last 10 games for the sub-par shooting.

The Seahawks have only eight games remaining in the regular season - five at home and three on the road.