‘Meet the Seahawks’ for UNCW basketball & head coach Kevin Keatts

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Kevin Keatts has been the head basketball coach at UNCW for nearly 6 months.
So far, he’s undefeated, practice officially tips off on Saturday. The season will start in mid November.

“I’ve been most pleased with the effort of the guys,” Kevin Keatts said. “Plus how they’ve opened up to what I’m trying to preach and what I’m teaching those to the guys and how receptive they’ve been to me.”

The majority of players on the team are leftover from the Buzz Peterson era. Freshman Jordan Talley is a new face though.

“Coach Keatts, everywhere he’s been, he’s won,” Talley told us. “When I got here, right when I stepped on campus they really made me feel like I was at home. The teammates and the coaching staff are terrific.”

The players are on the team are prepared to work hard. We’re told they’ll be better conditioned than Seahawk basketball squads in recent years.

Click the icon above to see our complete report from “UNCW Basketball Media Day” with Kevin Keatts and the Seahawks.

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Note: Joe Gore is a graduate of East Columbus High School

CLEMSON, SC(AP) – Clemson part-time offensive line starter Joe Gore had his appendix removed Wednesday and will miss the Tigers’ next two games.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney announced Gore’s condition after practice. The Tigers (2-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) face North Carolina State (4-1, 0-1) on Saturday.

Gore started the Clemson’s first three games. He was a backup at tackle last week in a 50-35 victory over North Carolina. Gore was listed as backup to Clemson’s left and right tackle positions against the Wolfpack. He has averaged 47 snaps a game so far this season.

Gore’s absence further weakens Clemson’s depth on the offensive line. The Tigers had lost Patrick DeStefano and Gifford Timothy to career-ending injuries before the season. Then Shaq Anthony transferred in late August.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Wednesday High School Scoreboard

GIRLS TENNIS
CROATAN 7 – NORTH BRUNSWICK 2
NEW HANOVER 6 – HOGGARD 3
SINGLES: No. 1 Taylor Walicki(NHHS) def Melanie Post(Hoggard)6-2, 6-1; No. 2 Kara Ferner(Hoggard) def Mckenzie Barker(NHHS) 6-1, 6-3; No. 3 Dawson Cooper(NHHS) def Claudia Opper(Hoggard) 6-0, 6-3; No. 4 Louise Stephenson(NHHS) def Dallas Barnhardt(Hoggard) 6-2, 6-1; No. 5 Anna Catherine Lloyd (NHHS) def Hannah Marable(Hoggard) 6-3, 6-4; No. 6 Catie Dull (Hoggard) def Sydney Grill(NHHS)6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES: No. 1 Walicki and Cooper(NHHS) def Post and Ferner(Hoggard)8-6; No. 2 Barnhardt and Lauren Traflet def Barker and Grill(NHHS) 8-2; No. 3 Lloyd and Stephenson(NHHS) def Marable and Lindsay Diab 8-4.

New Hanover’s overall record 13-2; conference 11-1

BOYS SOCCER
EAST DUPLIN 2 – DIXON 1
NORTHSIDE 5 – NORTH BRUNSWICK 4
WHITEVILLE 5 – EAST COLUMBUS 3
UNION 9 – WEST BLADEN 3
IRVING OCAMPO SCORED 3 GOALS FOR THE SPARTANS

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WILMINGTON, NC (CFCC RELEASE) — Third-ranked Louisburg College traveled to Wilmington Wednesday afternoon and left town with a 5-1 result over Cape Fear Community College.
The Sea Devils surrendered an early score and two more goals by Louisburg put the home side behind 3-0 at halftime before the Hurricanes closed things out in the final 45 minutes of play. “We’ve been dealing with our fair share of injuries and that does make it difficult, but the boys gave a good effort today,” said CFCC Coach Chris Libert. “I felt we played ok, just gave up some poor goals. Our goal right now is trying to get healthy and make a push for the tournament.”

Muhammed Jahateh spoiled the shutout in the 89th minute off a free kick from CJ Morale.
Louisburg held a 12-8 shot advantage in the win.

Cape Fear fell to 2-5 in Region X play and 6-5 overall heading into a weekend home game against Patrick Henry CC. Kickoff is at 4p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4

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WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — Casey Golden, Gavin Stupienski and Robbie Thorburn drove in three runs apiece as UNCW slugged its way past the Ontario Blue Jays, 14-1, in an exhibition game on Wednesday at Brooks Field.

Golden homered and doubled while Stupienski doubled and Thorburn added a round tripper of his own.

UNCW’s 14-run outburst backed the one-run, four-hit pitching of four Seahawk pitchers. Jordan Ramsey fanned three and walked one in two innings.

UNCW’s Steven Linkous, who had three hits, scored three runs and was one of four Seahawks with a stolen base.

Golden’s homer came in the third and was a two-run shot to left center. Thorburn connected on a three-run blast to right center in a nine-run sixth inning.

Cory Gantz followed Ramsey with a 1-2-3 third inning and Nick Monroe allowed a run on three hits over his two innings of work. Ryan Foster tossed the sixth inning and allowed a hit and struck out one.

Josh Naylor had two hits for the Blue Jays, who are touring North Carolina before heading to Jupiter, Fla., for the World Wood Bat Championships later this month.

The Seahawks won the final six innings of the 12-inning contest, 12-3, which was highlighted by a grand slam by UNCW freshman Zach Canada.

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WILLIAMSBURG, VA (UNCW) -– Morgan Kline and Meredith Peacock each had nine kills and combined for 11 total blocks as UNCW swept host William & Mary, 3-0, in Colonial Athletic Association volleyball action at Kaplan Arena.

The Seahawks improved to 12-5 overall and 2-1 in the CAA. The Tribe, who has now lost 10 straight matches, dropped to 4-12 and 0-2 in the league.

“This was an exciting road win for our team,” said UNCW Head Coach Amy Bambenek. “The first two sets were very close and I’m proud of how we played in those tight sets. Meredith (Peacock) and Morgan (Kline) had great matches overall and some tough serving helped us keep the lead and win the third set.”

UNCW shrugged off a slow start to dominate the third set, hitting .333 and posting five total blocks.

Kline narrowly missed notching a double-double after collecting 10 digs. Morgan Owney held match-high 19 digs. Victoria Phillips did post a double-double with 17 assists and 10 digs.

Dessi Koleva led all hitters with 13 kills and added 11 digs for the Tribe.

UP NEXT: The Seahawks close out their road stretch on Friday with a 6 p.m. start at James Madison.

NOTES: Morgan Kline’s six total blocks were a career high … UNCW finished with six service aces … At the net, UNCW outblocked W&M, 10-8, and have now outblocked its opponents, 161-111 this season … The Seahawks improved to 2-1 on the road this season and 8-3 in sweeps … UNCW has won six of its last eight matches with the Tribe.

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WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — Junior Annette Lyche of UNCW has been named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Co-Golfer-of-the-Week with James Madison senior Shabril Brewer after the two players tied for second place at the UNCG Forest Oaks Fall Classic earlier this week.

Lyche, a transfer from Baylor, turned in the best performance of her collegiate career in the final round at Forest Oaks Country Club, carding six birdies en route to a career-best 5-under-par 67. The effort allowed her to jump from 13th-place to second with a score of 217 (73-77-67).

“It’s a well-deserved honor,” said Cindy Ho, UNCW’s veteran coach. “She was so steady and consistent throughout the UNCG Tournament. Her performance was even more impressive given the fact that she was sick and really had to fight hard to finished as best she could during the 36-hole day.

“Her final round of 67 was textbook. Annette was able to find the fairway, which was important because of the long, thick rough. She hit 16 greens and had numerous birdie opportunities. I am so proud of her effort. She has worked hard to improve her game and things are starting to pay off.”

Lyche has been the Seahawks’ top finisher in the past two events, taking third in the fall season debut at the William & Mary Invitational. She owns a stroke average of 72.50 after six rounds in 2014-15.

Brewer, meanwhile, made four birdies and fired a 1-under par 71 in the final round in Greensboro to join Lyche as the runner-up with a 54-hole score of 217.