Wake Forest is next for UNCW after the Seahawks lose their CAA opener

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It’s going to be the CAA vs ACC this Sunday in Greensboro.

SEAHAWKS ENTERTAIN DEACONS AT GREENSBORO COLISEUM
Participating in the third part of a four-year agreement, UNCW plays host to Atlantic Coast Conference
member Wake Forest in a Sunday matinee at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Seahawks fell, 80-52, to
rival George Mason in the CAA debut for both teams last Saturday in Fairfax, Va. The Demon Deacons,
meanwhile, won their third straight in a 75-64 decision over Holy Cross last Saturday at Lawrence Joel
Coliseum.

HEAD COACH BUZZ PETERSON OF UNCW
Overall Record: 228-151 (.602), 13th Season
Record at UNCW: 3-4 (.429), 1st Season
Named head coach on April 16, 2010…Has led four different teams to fi ve post-season tournament
appearances in 12 seasons as a head coach…Guided Appalachian State to 24-13 record and Southern
Conference North Division crown last season…Helped Mountaineers reach the semifi nals of the CollegeInsider.
com Tournament…Served as Director of Player Personnel for Charlotte Bobcats for two seasons…
Served as head coach previously at Coastal Carolina (2 yrs.), Tennessee (4 yrs.), Tulsa (1 year) and ASU
(4 yrs. and 1 yr.)…Played four years at UNC Chapel Hill for legendary coach Dean Smith…Member of
1982 NCAA Championship team…Native of Asheville, N.C…Age 47.

HEAD COACH JEFF BZDELIK OF WFU
Overall Record: 120-108 (.526), 8th Season
Record at WFU: 5-3 (.600), 1st Season
Named 21st head coach in Wake Forest history…Has 32 years of coaching experience…Has served
as head coach at three institutions (UMBC, Air Force and Colorado)…Also worked three years as head
coach of NBA’s Denver Nuggets…Spent 15 seasons as coach and scout in the NBA (Washington, New
York, Miami, Denver, before returning to college game in 2005-06 at Air Force…Compiled records of 25-31
at UMBC, 50-16 at Air Force and 36-58 at Colorado…1976 graduate of Illinois-Chicago…Native of Mount
Prospect, Ill…Age 58.

PROBABLE STARTERS & RESERVES
For The Seahawks (3-4)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG
G 5 Chad Tomko 5-11 160 Sr. 12.6 3.6 4.4
G 34 Ahmad Grant 6-3 180 Sr. 10.7 3.1 1.4
G 12 Tanner Milson 6-2 175 Fr. 6.1 1.6 1.7
F 1 Donte Morales 6-5 185 Fr. 5.3 5.6 1.0
F 2 Keith Rendleman 6-7 215 So. 7.3 6.9 1.0
Key Reserves
C 4 Matt Wilson 6-11 235 So. 5.4 2.0 1.0
G 31 Trevor Deloach 6-4 185 Jr. 8.6 4.4 1.4

PROBABLE STARTERS & RESERVES
For The Demon Deacons (5-3)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG
G 11 C.J. Harris 6-3 185 So. 10.9 4.1 4.5
G 2 Gary Clark 6-4 200 Sr. 11.1 3.0 1.9
C 40 Ty Walker 7-0 230 Jr. 5.3 5.0 0.9
F 20 Ari Stewart 6-7 205 So.. 13.0 7.3 1.0
F 30 Travis McKie 6-7 205 Fr. 14.0 8.0 1.5
Key Reserves
G 0 J.T. Terrell 6-3 175 Fr. 14.3 2.3 2.0
C 33 Carson Desrosiers 7-0 235 Fr. 5.3 3.3 0.5

Article Courtesy UNCW Sports Information:

FAIRFAX, Virginia – Senior guard Isaiah Tate scored 16 points to anchor a balanced scoring attack as George Mason raced past UNCW, 80-52, in the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball opener for both teams Saturday night at the Patriot Center.

The Patriots improved to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the CAA with the decisive win. The Seahawks stand 3-4 and 0-1 after playing the fourth game in a five-game road trip.

With Tate leading the way, the Patriots shot 53.2 percent overall and went 11-for-21 behind the three-point line in vaulting over the 80-point plateau for the third time this season. Freshman guard Vertrail Vaughns added 14 points, junior forward Ryan Pearson collected 12 and sophomore forward Luke Hancock chipped in 11.

UNCW failed to place a player in double figures for the first time this season. Freshman forward Donte Morales was high man with eight points and just missed a double-double with 10 rebounds.

The two teams traded baskets early before the Patriots stepped behind the arc to open up a big lead at the half. GMU extended the margin to as many as 35 points in the second period before winning its sixth straight over UNCW.

Leading 46-25 at the break, GMU scored nine of the first 11 points of the final stanza and used an 8-0 mini-run to dash any hopes of a Seahawk comeback down the stretch. A transition layup by junior guard Andre Cornelius at 16:38 capped the eight-point spurt and GMU led by a 55-27 count.

The Patriots built their largest lead of the game at the 10:11 mark of the second half when Vaughns connected on an eight-footer in the paint over Ahmad Grant for a 71-36 bulge.

Both teams came out firing early, combining for 9-of-13 from the floor. A running jumper in the lane by Darryl Felder and a putback by Keith Rendleman gave the Seahawks an early 11-10 edge before the Patriots got untracked.

GMU answered with a 20-5 run that gained the Patriots some separation, capped by a trio of 3-pointers by the red-hot Vaughns. The Patriots led, 19-16, at the 10-minute mark, but Hancock made a layup and Vaughns drained three long bombs, the last triple coming at 8:18 that pushed GMU’s margin to 30-16.

GMU then recorded its largest lead of the first period, 46-22, when Hancock made a conventional three-point play at 2:20. It was the last time the Patriots scored in the opening half.

The Seahawks wrap up their rigorous road swing next Sunday, Dec. 12, with a 2 p.m. game against Wake Forest at the Greensboro Coliseum. UNCW will be the home team despite the fact the game is being played in Greensboro. Former New Hanover Wildcat Ty Walker is now a junior at Wake Forest. He’s expected to get play several minutes against the Seahawks.

GAME NOTES: GMU’s 46 points in the first half was two shy of the season high for UNCW’s opponents…The two teams attempted just three free throws in the first half…The Patriots now lead the all-time series, 37-30…GMU’s Cam Long was held scoreless in opening period…Senior playmaker Chad Tomko was held below double figures for the first time this season and wound up with four points…Long, a preseason All-CAA pick, ended the night with five points on 2-for-6 shooting….The Seahawks went 4-for-17 behind the arc….All 12 players who dressed for the Seahawks saw action…The Seahawks went 8-for-10 at the free throw line…Buzz Peterson fell to 2-4 in conference openers at his six stops and is 0-2 against GMU in his career…The Patriots committed just nine turnovers, four in the first half and five after intermission…GMU now owns an 18-8 advantage over UNCW since the first meeting at the Patriot Center on Feb. 20, 1986.