Monumental CAA clash set for Saturday at UNCW

WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — Colonial Athletic Association pacesetters UNCW and William & Mary get together late Saturday for a key conference men’s basketball clash that could have major ramifications as the season winds down in one of the most competitive leagues in the nation.

The Seahawks, 13-9 overall and 8-3 in the CAA, take on the Tribe, 14-8, 8-3) in an 8:05 p.m. tip-off at Trask Coliseum. The teams are locked in a three-way deadlock with Northeastern (16-8, 8-3) for the top spot in the CAA. Three more teams – Hofstra, James Madison and Drexel – follow with 6-5 records.

“I’ve been very impressed with the coaches and players in this conference and we know that we have to compete every night,” said first-year UNCW Head Coach Kevin Keatts. “We’re concentrating on each game and aren’t looking ahead.”

UNCW has just seven games remaining in the regular season, beginning with Saturday’s much-anticipated test with W&M. Four of those contests will be in Trask Coliseum, where the Seahawks are 7-1 this season.

The Seahawks, the surprise team in the CAA this season, are coming off a 77-65 verdict at James Madison on Wednesday that hiked the team’s road record to 6-8 on the season. UNCW is tied for the most conference road wins this season with Hofstra, with both teams owning a 4-2 mark in league away games.

In Wednesday’s win at JMU, senior guard Freddie Jackson scored 19 of his game-high 26 points in the first half to get the Seahawks off to a strong start and Craig Ponder (18 points) and Addison Spruill (18 points) provided the firepower down the stretch to help the Seahawks win in Harrisonburg for the first time since 2006.

UNCW and W&M are completing the regular season series after William & Mary mounted an impressive rally in the first matchup on Jan. 14 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg. The Seahawks led that contest by 20 points at halftime, 44-24, before the Tribe made a furious comeback to stun Keatts’ club, 76-72.

The Tribe shot 53.8 percent and made 19-of-20 free throws in the second half, including a perfect 8-for-8 at the charity stripe by CAA Preseason Player-of-the-Year Marcus Thornton. The lightning-quick senior from Upper Marlboro, Md., ranks second in the CAA in scoring with 19.0 points per game and has averaged 14.4 point and 2.8 rebounds in seven games against the Seahawks.

After losing his first two outings against UNCW, Thornton has sparked the Tribe to five consecutive wins, scoring 25, 17, 19, 15 and 19 points in the victories. He went 7-for-12 from the floor and 3-for-6 from deep in W&M’s 54-50 win last February at Trask Coliseum.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, are anchored by veterans Freddie Jackson, Addison Spruill and Craig Ponder. Jackson (14.5 ppg), Spruill (14.3 ppg) and Ponder (11.5) give the Seahawks one of the CAA’s most versatile and potent lineups. UNCW is averaging 71.8 points per game, third best in the loop behind W&M (80.3) and Hofstra (75.0).

UNCW leads the all-time series with W&M by a 40-24 margin, but the Tribe has taken the last five meetings. The Seahawks are 20-11 against W&M at Trask Coliseum and 12-11 against veteran skipper Tony Shaver since he arrived in Williamsburg 12 years ago.

Saturday’s tilt kicks off a three-game home stand for the Seahawks, who entertain the College of Charleston on Wednesday (Feb. 11) and CAA co-leader Northeastern on Saturday (Feb. 14).

The UNCW-W&M game can be heard on the Seahawk Digital Network via UNCWsports.com. Fans should click on the “Live Events” button on the top right-hand corner of the main page and follow the prompts for the free broadcast. A 15-minute pregame show kicks off the coverage followed by first-half coverage, a 15-minute halftime show, second-half action and a 15-minute post-game show.