Can UNCW make it an even dozen with another win on Thursday?
WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — You don’t have to tell UNCW’s Kevin Keatts the curtain is quickly closing on the Colonial Athletic Association regular season. He knows that, and the second-year head men’s basketball coach is determined to keep his scorching-hot club focused.
“It’s another tough week, it doesn’t get any easier,” Keatts warned as the Seahawks prepped for a two-game CAA Thursday-Saturday swing to William & Mary and College of Charleston. The Seahawks, 20-5 overall and 12-2 in the league, own the third longest winning streak in the NCAA Division I ranks at 11 games in a row.
“Our guys have accepted the challenge every game,” Keatts said. “We’ve played some great coaches and great players in this streak. We’ve played solid defensively, but our offense and transition have carried us. Out of the 11 games, four or five could have gone either way. We’ve found ways to win.”
The Seahawks, who face the Tribe at 7 p.m. on Thursday, have done that extremely well through 25 games and wrap up the regular campaign with road dates against the Tribe and Cougars followed by a pair of home contests vs. Hofstra (Feb. 25) and Towson (Feb. 27).
UNCW owns a two-game lead over second-place Hofstra in the CAA standings. William & Mary, James Madison and Towson are three games back at 9-5.
UNCW has fashioned an 11-1 home record, including 6-1 in the CAA, and a 7-4 overall road record in achieving its first 20-win season in eight years and only the sixth 20-win season in school history. The latest notches came at the expense of Elon (86-82) and James Madison (78-68) last week, giving UNCW its third and fourth conference sweeps of the season.
“Anytime you play at home,” Keatts said, “you have to take care of it as best you can. We had a very good week on the offensive end against two very good teams. We did a good job – for the most part – of defending the arc.”
The Seahawks received votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll for the second straight week and climbed one spot to No. 17 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. With 11 home victories, UNCW has posted the most wins at Trask Coliseum since the 2007-08 campaign.
“We had a great basketball tradition in the early 2000s and our fans and students have been starving for some good basketball,” said Keatts. “Our style of play and winning has brought people back to Trask Coliseum. We have a great atmosphere and everyone’s enjoying what they see. It’s a fun place to play and fun for our guys. Anyone can beat you in the CAA because there are some great teams, but the home court has helped our guys a lot.”
The Seahawks and Tribe are meeting for the 67th time and on the 33rd occasion in Williamsburg. UNCW leads the longtime series, 41-25, but has lost six of the last 10 games to the Tribe, including three in a row at Kaplan Arena.
In the last game between the two teams, junior guard Denzel Ingram exploded for a career-high 30 points and UNCW shot 54.1 percent from the floor to edge the Tribe, 97-94, in overtime on Jan. 16 at Trask Coliseum. No more than six points separated the two teams in the CAA classic that featured 11 ties and 18 lead changes.
Keatts said, “Every game in the CAA is a little different the second time around. William & Mary causes a lot of problems because they can score in so many ways. What’s lost is that they’re a very good transition team. We’ll have to do a good job of getting back. The game here was one of the best games I’ve been involved with on the offensive end. It came down to whoever got the last stop. It was a great offensive game for both teams.”
The Seahawks got their usual weighty contributions from Chris Flemmings, C.J. Bryce and Denzel Ingram in the victories last week. Senior guard Craig Ponder enjoyed an outstanding week, averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists and shooting 58.3 percent from long distance.
“It was great to see our returning starting backcourt playing good basketball,” Keatts noted. “In my opinion, Craig has struggled some in his last three or four games. He was pressing a little. Sometimes guys overthink things in their senior years. He’s back to playing good basketball. He’s scoring the ball once again and even rebounding the basketball.”
After Thursday’s tussle in Williamsburg, the Seahawks head down to Charleston to battle the Cougars on Saturday in a 6 p.m. tip-off at TD Arena.
All of UNCW’s games are carried live on the Seahawk Digital Network (SDN). Fans can visit UNCWsports.com, click the Live Events button, and select the game for a free audio feed of the contest. Seahawk basketball may also be heard over the radio airwaves on The Beach 94.1 FM/WLSG 1340 AM in Wilmington and New Hanover County and Freedom 97.1 FM/WSME 1120 AM in Jacksonville and Onslow County.
For more information on the Seahawks, like the team on Facebook (UNCW Men’s Basketball) or follow the team on Twitter (@UNCWMensHoops).
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