https://uncwsports.com/news/2020/1/29/me...igers.aspx
Men's Basketball 1/29/2020 6:56:00 PM Joe Browning
Seahawks Begin Second Rotation With TU
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The Colonial Athletic Association's latest surprise team faces the league's hottest unit on Thursday night when UNCW opens the second half of the league's men's basketball schedule against Towson at SECU Arena.
The Seahawks, 7-15 overall and 2-7 in the CAA, carry a two-game winning streak into the 7 p.m. tip at the black and gold venue near Baltimore. UNCW owns a 2-1 record since Rob Burke took over as interim head coach on Monday, Jan. 13.
Towson, 12-9 and 6-3, has reeled off six straight wins, including a key 70-58 road victory last Saturday at CAA frontrunner William & Mary. The victory vaulted the Tigers into a three-way tie for second place with Charleston and Hofstra.
"The trip's going to be a challenge, but I like where we are right now and feel good about it," said Burke. "We just want to keep our blinders on and do what we need to do to get better.
"Thursday will be a very tough game. We were both 0-3 the last time we played and Towson has gotten better. They figured out who they are and what they're doing.
"We have our work cut out for ourselves. At the end of the day, they want to protect their home court and we want to try to steal a game."
UNCW hopes to build off an impressive 72-70 road win over Charleston last Saturday at TD Arena. The resurgent Seahawks overcame a partial crowd and several CofC rallies to snap a four-game losing streak to the Cougars. Coupled with a 76-74 overtime win over Northeastern in the previous game, the Seahawks matched their longest winning streak of the season.
After a slow start in conference play, the Tigers have regrouped as well, winning their last three league games to ascend in the standings. Freshman guard Jason Gibson collected CAA Rookie of the Week accolades after scoring a season-high 21 points in the 12-point verdict in Williamsburg. Senior guard Brian Fobbs had 17 points, sophomore guard Allen Betrand added 16 points and senior forward Dennis Tunstall had eight rebounds and four blocks in the win. Towson's league-leading defense held William & Mary to just 23 second-half points, a season low for the Tribe.
In the first matchup between the Seahawks and Tigers on Jan. 4 at Trask Coliseum, a pair of clutch three-pointers by Fobbs and Betrand near the three-minute mark of the second half broke open a tie game and lifted Towson past UNCW, 67-60. Fobbs and Betrand led all scorers with 16 points each on 12-for-27 shooting.
In its last appearance at SECU Arena on Jan. 5, 2019, UNCW used a stellar defensive effort to register its first conference road sweep since late 2016-17 with a 67-61 decision. Jay Estime' anchored four Seahawks in double figures with 13 points, including three crucial free throws in the final 43 seconds to secure the win. The Seahawks set the tone early by scoring the first 10 points of the game and the Tigers got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
Thursday's clash features two of the CAA's top first-year performers in Gibson and UNCW's Shykeim Phillips. Phillips has played in all 22 games for the Seahawks, making 16 starts, and averaged 9.5 points and 2.2 assists. Gibson has appeared in all 21 games and opened eight contests, collecting 7.7 ppg and 1.9 assists.
The Seahawks have only nine games remaining in the regular season - four on the road and five at home.
Thursday'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. A live video stream is available on FloSports.
Following Thursday, the Seahawks shoot over to the Shenandoah Valley for a Saturday afternoon date with James Madison. It will be UNCW's 34th and final appearance at the JMU Convocation Center since the Dukes are moving into the new Atlantic Union Bank Center next season.
Seahawk Storylines
UNCW and Towson are meeting for the 42nd time. The Seahawks own a 24-17 advantage in the series. Towson has won two in a row, but UNCW has taken six of the last 10 meetings.
UNCW stands 21-13 vs. Towson since the Tigers joined the CAA and 9-7 against the Tigers on their home floor since the two became CAA rivals.
The Seahawks used a different starting lineup for the seventh time in Saturday's win at CofC when junior guard Ty Gadsden made his first start of the year. Junior guard Mike Okauru and sophomore forward Marten Linssen are the only players to open every contest.
After seven consecutive games scoring in the 60s, the Seahawks have bucketed 70+ points in the last two outings - both victories.
UNCW's last three games have been decided by two points. The Seahawks are 4-4 in games decided by five points or less this season.
UNCW picked up its first true road victory with the shocker in Charleston. The Seahawks are 2-9 away from home, including 1-8 in true road games and 1-1 in neutral site games.
The Seahawks matched their longest winning streak of the season - two games - with the triumph in Charleston. UNCW topped FIU and Emory & Henry in back-to-back games on Nov. 23 and Nov. 26.
UNCW wraps up its eight-game January slate at SECU Arena. The Seahawks are 2-5 this month heading into its finale.
The Seahawks set a season high for free throws made (22/33) and season lows for turnovers (7) and steals (0) in last Saturday's matchup at CofC.
Junior guard Ty Gadsden is finally healthy and that's good news for the Seahawks. The Charlotte product made his first start of the season at CofC and responded with 16 points and four assists in 31 minutes. He went 8-for-9 at the charity stripe, including 5-of-6 in the last 9.7 seconds to seal the win.