Season opening basketball wins for UNCW men & women Friday night

WILMINGTON, NC (UNCWSPORTS.COM) –Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year Chris Flemmings matched his career high with 28 points to power UNCW past NCAA Division II Claflin, 110-64, in the 2016-17 season debut for the defending CAA men’s basketball champions late Friday at Trask Coliseum.

The Seahawks won their season opener for the second straight year behind a balanced scoring attack and 51.3 percent shooting. UNCW next embarks on its first road game on Monday when the Seahawks travel to Richmond, Ky., to battle Eastern Kentucky in a 7 p.m.

“I’m happy with the way we played, especially in the first half,” said Kevin Keatts, UNCW’s third-year head coach. “It’s tough when you play with a big lead. I thought we did some great things.

“We’re doing a good job of getting our hands on balls. We’ve worked very hard on becoming a good half-court defensive team.”

Flemmings was nearly flawless in his first performance of the new campaign, going 8-for-9 from the floor and connecting on all nine of his free throw attempts in the rout. Sophomore guard C.J. Bryce added 23 points, graduate guard Ambrose Mosley chipped in 16, senior guard Denzel Ingram had 15 and sophomore forward Devontae Cacok finished with 14.

Sophomore center Austin Lawton and junior guard Benjamin Williams each tallied 11 points to lead the Panthers. Williams added a team-high nine rebounds and Lawton contributed seven rebounds with two blocks.

The Seahawks improved to 40-7 lifetime against NCAA Division II opponents, including nine consecutive victories since the 1996 season. The 46-point win was the second largest in UNCW’s three seasons under Keatts.

In a fast-paced style reminiscent of their run to the 2016 CAA title, the Seahawks jumped out quickly on the smaller Panthers and never let up, leading by as many as 55 points in the inaugural pairing between the two clubs.

Following a sluggish start, the Seahawks, behind Bryce and Flemmings, kicked it into high gear to grab control. With the score squared at 2-all, Bryce reeled off six straight points and Flemmings added a pair of three-pointers and free throw as the Seahawks bolted out to a 15-4 margin with just under 16 minutes left in the opening stanza.

The Seahawks cruised to their largest lead of the first half with 40 seconds left when Mosley drained his third triple of the first period as UNCW took a 62-22 cushion into the break.

UNCW continued to pad its lead after intermission and rolled to its largest margin, 98-43, with 7:35 remaining on a Bryce dunk.

GAME NOTES: The Seahawks are now 57-38 lifetime against South Carolina opponents … Kevin Keatts stands 23-4 at home in three seasons … The victory was the 22nd double-digit win for Keatts … Keatts owns a 14-11 record against non-conference opponents in three seasons on the bench … Keatts is a perfect 8-0 vs. South Carolina teams … The game marked the first time the Seahawks registered five players in double figures since Feb. 2, 2016 … The Seahawks scored 22 second chance points off 20 offensive rebounds … The teams combined to make 31-of-35 free throws in the contest … Cacok posted the first double-double of his career after grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds … Returning players from the 2016 championship squad were presented their title rings in a pregame ceremony on the floor of Trask Coliseum.

Wilmington, NC (CFCC RELEASE)- – Cape Fear men’s basketball won it’s regular season home opener, defeating Lenoir Community College 100-56. Alonzo Tyson lead with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Jerick Haynes finished with 17 points on 7-11 shooting. Jacque Brown lead in assists with four.

Lenoir gained the early lead, knocking down two 3-pointers in the first two possessions. Cape Fear looked a bit disorganized, and committed a few early turnovers.

Two alley oops by Alonzo Tyson would settle the Sea Devils down, however, and they’d take their first lead at 8-6. They would go on to score 19 straight points before Lenoir would end their run.

Cape Fear played with a fast tempo, aggressively attacking Lenoir on every possession. Points came primarily from inside, with Tyson the focal point of the offense. The majority of their points came from the paint, which helped open up shooters on the outside. Tai-He Jeter would take full advantage, knocking down four 3-pointers in the first half.

Midway through the half, Cape Fear held a 31-13 lead. They were shooting 57.1 from the field, and 40 percent from the 3-point line. They would maintain a large lead as the half wore on.

Tyson would convert an and-1 to give the Sea Devils a 45-19 lead with 4:27 remaining. The Lancers would get some points back by getting to the free throw line, but Cape Fear would go on a small run in the final minutes, and lead 58-31 at halftime.

Tyson would lead with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Jeter scored 12 points on 4-7 from behind the arc. Trae Bryant had 9 points, four rebounds, and three assists. The team shot 55.3 percent from the field, and went 12-15 from the free throw line. Their bench outscored Lenoir’s 25-3, and outrebounded them 24-9.

A corner-3 by Alston Davis would open the second half. The Sea Devils looked to attack the hoop and kick it to the corners as the Lancers collapsed on the driver. The Lancers struggled defending without fouling, and picked up seven fouls in the first four minutes. Cape Fear continued moving the ball well, which created open shots in the halfcourt.

With 14 minutes remaining Cape Fear lead 68-40. Holding a comfortable lead, the Sea Devils would go deeper into their bench, but continued looking to build the lead. They would extend it to 30 points with 8:13 remaining.

Haynes would score nine straight points in the closing minutes of the game, then a layup by Jeter would give the team a 41 point lead. Both teams would clear the benches for the final 2:37, and the Sea Devils would cruise to win their opening home game.

Cape Fear scored 62 points in the paint, and outrebounded Lenoir 43-21. They score 30 points off 16 Lancer turnovers.

Afterwards, head coach Ryan Mantlo was pleased with the win. “We played really, really hard. We were sloppy at times but we’re trying to implement some new things and we’re still trying to figure each other out, but overall I thought it was a good performance.”

Asked about what his team will have to do heading into tomorrow’s matchup against #2 ranked Georgia Highlands, Mantlo pointed to limiting turnovers.

“We’ve got to take care of the ball. They’re going to come in here, and try to control the tempo. If we can slow them down and play our style, we’ll be in good shape.”

The win improves Cape Fear’s record to 2-0. They will play again tomorrow, November 12th, against Georgia Highlands College. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.

Courtesy of Nick Denning

WILMINGTON, NC (UNCWSPORTS.COM) — Redshirt junior forward Jenny DeGraaf and junior guard Madison Raque combined to score 29 points as UNCW opened its season with a 64-58 victory over Norfolk State at Trask Coliseum on Friday evening.

DeGraaf, who was making her UNCW debut after transferring from Penn State, set career highs by scoring 15 points and grabbing 15 rebounds while Raque matched her career high by scoring 14 points.

Junior center Rebekah Banks contributed nine points with 10 rebounds while redshirt senior forward Jordan Henry chipped in seven points with seven rebounds.

Redshirt senior guard Jordan Strode and senior guard Dominique Harper each tallied 14 points in the loss for Norfolk State.

How It Happened: The Seahawks made 8-of-14 shots from the floor in the opening quarter to take a commanding 28-12 lead and never trailed from that point. DeGraaf led the charge by scoring 8 of her 15 points during the opening stanza.

Game Notes: UNCW improved to 24-20 all-time in season openers and has won its last three season debuts … The Seahawks lead the all-time series over Norfolk State by a 4-0 margin … DeGraaf made her first appearance since Mar. 4, 2015, when she started for Penn State against Indiana in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, a span of 20 months and seven days … Redshirt junior forward Janeá Williams played for the first time since Mar. 6, 2015, a span of 20 months and five days … Of the 12 players who saw action for UNCW, 10 of them scored a point … DeGraaf recorded the second double-double of her college career … The Seahawks’ newcomers accounted for 30 of the team’s 64 points … UNCW’s 28 points in the first quarter are the most in any period since the start of last season … UNCW scored 22 points off 17 Norfolk State turnovers.

Up Next for the Seahawks: UNCW begins its first road swing of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 16, with an 11:30 a.m. contest at East Carolina.