https://uncwsports.com/news/2019/2/12/me...s-day.aspx
Seahawks, Huskies Pair Up On Valentine's
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The rigorous CAA slate speeds toward the finish for the UNCW men's basketball team when the Seahawks play host to the league's top two teams, Hofstra and Northeastern, this week at Trask Coliseum.
Coach C.B. McGrath's club, 8-18 overall and 4-9 in the circuit, celebrates Valentine's Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, with a 7 p.m. date against Northeastern. The Huskies occupy second place in the CAA standings at 15-9 and 9-3, two games behind first-place Hofstra at 21-4 and 11-1.
"It's all about getting better," McGrath said this week. "When you win games, you get confidence and feel better about yourself. We've cut down our turnovers all season. Defensively, we contest shots, but teams make tough shots against us.
"Our home crowds have been terrific. We haven't held serve at home. It's a big weekend. It's our last two home games of the year. I hope people will come out to show their appreciation for what Devontae Cacok and all of our seniors have accomplished for the program."
The pairing marks the 19th time the Seahawks have played on Valentine's Day. UNCW stands 8-10 in Valentine's Day games, including 5-4 at home and 3-6 on the road. UNCW's last opponent on Valentine's Day? You guessed it - Northeastern on Feb. 14, 2012.
The Huskies, winners of four straight, return most of the unit that eliminated the Seahawks in the 2018 CAA Tournament semifinals before falling to Charleston in the finals at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Huskies were slow out of the gate this season due to injuries, but have regrouped and won eight of their last nine games.
Senior guard Vasa Pusica scored a team-high 23 points as Northeastern edged Elon, 72-60, in overtime last Saturday in Boston. Jordan Roland tallied 21 points and Bolden Brace recorded a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Huskies.
Hofstra, meanwhile, has been atop the CAA standings all season, reeling off 16 victories at one point and featuring the NCAA's third-leading scorer and seven-time CAA Player-of-the-Week honoree Justin Wright-Foreman, who is averaging 26.0 ppg.
"Northeastern and Hofstra have a lot of confidence and are on rolls," added McGrath. "When you're on a roll, you feel good about yourself, everything goes in and you get the stops you need. They're very good teams. They have upperclassmen who are doing a great job leading them. Pusica and Wright-Foreman are returning All-CAA players and they have other guards who are upperclassmen. When you have experienced guards, you're going to win a lot of games."
In the first game between the Seahawks and Huskies played on Jan. 19, 2019, at historic Matthews Arena, guards Pusica and Shawn Occeus combined for 41 points and keyed a second half surge to help Northeastern carve out an 88-71 victory. Pusica poured in 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 4-of-7 behind the arc, while Occeus pumped in 20 points for the Huskies, who shot 56.7 percent in the second half. Cacok led UNCW in scoring with a game-high 23 points and added 13 rebounds.
McGrath said of Northeastern, "Our guys know about them. It's not as difficult to prepare. Carrying out the game plan is more difficult because they're talented. We just have to do our best to execute.
"We have to cut down their three-point percentage. They're an unselfish team and they have great spacing. Defensively, we're going to have to be very active and make sure we're contesting everything. On the offensive end, we need to get the ball inside, make some shots and get all over the offensive boards."
Live Seahawk Digital Network (SDN) coverage of the UNCW-Northeastern contest begins at 6:45 p.m. with Mike Vaccaro, the "Voice of the Seahawks," and Marty Feurer on the call. Visit UNCWsports.com/SDN for live audio and video coverage. A radio broadcast of the game may be heard on 95.9 FM "The Breeze" | WKXB HD 2 – 95.9 FM and 99.9 HD2 and live stats are available at UNCWStats.com.
THE STORYLINES
THE SERIES: Thursday marks the 27th meeting between the Seahawks and Huskies. NU has won four straight over UNCW and owns a 14-12 advantage in the series. Moreover, the Huskies have taken six of the last 10 meetings between the two clubs.
HOME VS. AWAY: The Seahawks are 4-8 at Trask Coliseum this season, shooting 45.9 percent and averaging 82.6 ppg. Away from Wilmington (true road games and neutral), UNCW is connecting on 43.9 percent and averaging 71.9 ppg.
FIGURING OUT FEBRUARY: The Seahawks dropped their third game in February with last Saturday's loss at Delaware. C.B. McGrath stands 3-8 in February during his two years in the Port City.
CACOK SCORING UPDATE: With 1,495 points in 122 career appearances, Cacok, a senior forward, ranks sixth on UNCW's all-time scoring list. He needs 19 points to move past UNCW Hall of Famer Jay Neary into the school's top-5.
NEXT UP: Following the battle with the Huskies, the Seahawks return to Trask Coliseum on Saturday for their regular season home finale vs. Hofstra. It will be "Senior Night" and the final home appearance for seniors Jacque Brown, Devontae Cacok, Daniel Etoroma, Trey Kalina and Shawn O'Connell, along with managers Hunter Williams and Thomas Eatman.