First place UNCW to host Drexel Saturday afternoon

WILMINGTON, NC (COURTESY UNCWSPORTS.COM) — UNCW’s defending Colonial Athletic Association champions, now finally in sole possession of first place in the league, take on Drexel early Saturday at Trask Coliseum with a chance to make more history.

The Seahawks (18-2, 6-0) are off to their best start ever and can match the school record for home victories with a win over the Dragons in the second pairing of the two teams in January. UNCW thumped the Dragons, 90-72, back on Jan. 5 at the Daskalakis Center in Philadelphia.

Live Seahawk Digital Network (SDN) coverage of the UNCW-Drexel contest begins with Mike Vaccaro providing the pregame show at 3:45 p.m. Visit UNCWsports.com/SDN for live audio coverage. In addition, a radio broadcast of the game can be heard on WLSG 94.1 FM and 1340 AM (Wilmington) and WSME 97.1 FM and 1120 AM (Jacksonville).

“We’ve been playing well, but we have a lot of respect for Coach (Zach Spiker) and his team,” said Kevin Keatts, UNCW’s ultra-successful third-year head coach. “We’ve had very little time to prepare with the short turnaround. It will be a big challenge because Zach does a great job with his guys and Rodney Williams is a handful inside.”

The Dragons (7-12, 1-5) have dropped six of their last seven outings heading into Saturday’s 4 p.m. start. UNCW stands 8-0 this season on its home floor, just one off the school record set by the NIT team of 1997-98.

UNCW continued its winning ways with a hard-earned 65-59 decision over the Cougars on Thursday at TD Arena. This time, junior playmaker Jordon Talley was the catalyst, scoring a game-high 17 points off the bench and collecting 11 of those markers after intermission.

For the third time this season, the Seahawks featured two players with double-doubles. Sophomore guard C.J. Bryce, the CAA’s second leading scorer, pocketed 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Preseason CAA Player-of-the-Year Chris Flemmings totaled 11 points and 10 boards. Sophomore forward Devontae Cacok also snared a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Seahawks have won seven in a row this season and 11 consecutive games in the CAA dating back to last year’s championship run. Overall, UNCW has won an impressive 23 of its last 25 games against league opponents.

Spiker brings a new fast-paced look to the Drexel sidelines this year. The former Army head coach has the Dragons, behind Williams and freshman scorer Kurk Lee, averaging 75.4 points this year.

The agile Williams has been tough on the Seahawks. In three career appearances, the 6-7, 225-pound performer has averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds with 10 blocks.

The Seahawks stand 16-12 lifetime against the Dragons since Drexel joined the CAA from the America East Conference in 2001-02. UNCW has won three straight vs. DU and owns an 8-4 advantage over the Dragons at Trask Coliseum.

UNCW has been difficult to stop on their home floor, however, since Keatts arrived. Over the last three seasons, the Seahawks are 30-4 at home with nine consecutive wins on South College Road.

The Seahawks are back home briefly before embarking on another challenging road trip next week. UNCW visits James Madison (Jan. 26) and William & Mary (Jan. 28) to close out January before returning to the coast to play five of their last eight contests.

For more information on the UNCW men’s basketball team throughout the 2016-17 season, visit UNCWsports.com and click on the Men’s Basketball button. Additional information is also available on UNCW’s social media channels: Facebook (UNCW Men’s Basketball), Twitter (@UNCWmenshoops), Instagram (UNCWBasketball).