https://uncwsports.com/news/2019/12/20/m...-city.aspx
Seahawks Face Vandy In Music City
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Music - maybe even a few holiday tunes - will greet the UNCW men's basketball team on Saturday night when the Seahawks match up with Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The Seahawks, 5-7, and Commodores, 6-4, are scheduled to tip at 8 p.m. ET at Memorial Gymnasium in the final game for both clubs before the Christmas break. It's the first matchup between the two schools since Dec. 5, 1991, and only the second overall.
"It's good to have another true road game," said C.B. McGrath, UNCW's third-year head coach. "We have nine road games in conference play coming up. We just need to execute on the offensive end and play hard on the defensive end. We need to see the ball go into the basket."
In addition to the last game before taking off for the holidays, the Seahawks will be playing their final non-conference opponent of the campaign. UNCW begins its Colonial Athletic Association slate on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Delaware.
The Seahawks stand 1-4 away from home this year, 0-3 in true road games and 1-1 in neutral site games. UNCW's lone victory away from the Port City came on Nov. 23 when the Seahawks edged FIU, 66-63, in the Battle for the Capital in Washington, D.C.
Three Seahawks are averaging in double figures and eight are collecting at least six points per game this season. Sophomore guard Jaylen Sims (14.4), junior guard Ty Gadsden (11.0) and sophomore forward Marten Linssen (10.4) are each hitting double digits each time on the court.
Gadsden, who averaged 11.5 points last season, returned to the lineup vs. Charlotte and scored 11 points in 21 minutes of action. He suffered an injury in practice, however, and is doubtful until the conference season. Gadsden sat out the first 10 games of the year following hip and hernia surgery last summer.
Vanderbilt, coached by former North Carolina standout and NBA star Jerry Stackhouse, has dropped two straight and three of its last four outings. Loyola Chicago, darlings of the 2018 Final Four, shot 56 percent to trim the Commodores, 78-70, on Wednesday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Sophomore forward Aaron Nesmith had 23 points and junior guard Saben Lee added 18 for the Commodores, who were outscored by four points in each period.
Saturday's contest will be carried over the air on The Breeze, 95.9 FM, with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro on the call. The game may be heard worldwide on the station's website,
http://www.959thebreeze.com. Video is available on the SEC Network.
Seahawk Storylines
The Seahawks stand 0-3 this month following defeats to Stanford, Charlotte and Mercer. UNCW has lost 10 consecutive games in December dating back to a 101-60 romp over Greensboro College on Dec. 28, 2017, at Trask Coliseum.
In the last game between the two clubs in December of 1991, Vanderbilt shot 57.1 percent to claim the inaugural meeting, 90-71, at Memorial Gymnasium. The Commodores led, 45-39, at intermission and cruised behind four players in double figures, including 17 points from Dan Hall. A drought early in the second half cost the Seahawks, who got 18 points and nine rebounds from Matt Fish.
UNCW owns a 2-16 record against Southeastern opponents through the years. UNCW's last game vs. the SEC came two years ago when LSU outscored the Seahawks, 97-84, on Dec. 10, 2017, in Baton Rouge. Saturday marks only the second matchup of the season between the CAA and SEC. No. 15 Florida edged Towson, 66-60, in the Charleston Classic on Nov. 14 at TD Arena.
The Seahawks are only appearing at Memorial Gymnasium for the second time, but have actually played in Nashville on eight occasions, compiling a 3-5 record in the Music City. Two of UNCW's six NCAA Tournament appearances occurred in Nashville (2000 & 2003).
When UNCW faces Vanderbilt late Saturday, the Seahawks will have played in all four time zones in the United States. If you throw in the trip to Italy in late summer, that would make five different time zones since August 1.
The Seahawks will recognize a familiar face on the Vanderbilt bench. Former UNCW women's basketball head coach Adell Harris joined Jerry Stackhouse's Commodore staff last summer as Chief of Staff after heading up the UNCW women's program from 2012-17.