With its 78-59 win over Eastern Kentucky on Monday, the University of North Carolina Wilmington men’s basketball team accomplished its best start in nearly a decade. The 2-0 Seahawks are getting production from returning upperclassmen and significant contributions from fresh talent.
Senior guard Craig Ponder, the top scorer to return to the team, is already taking the role as the Seahawks’ offensive leader after putting up 24 against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on Nov. 16 and 26 in the team’s season opener on Friday, Nov. 13 against the Milligan Buffaloes.
But senior Dylan Sherwood, tying a career high with 16 points, and junior transfer Denzel Ingram, who made his UNCW debut against the Colonels with 13 points, showed they each can play a significant role for the Seahawks, as each logged more than 30 minutes in their double-digit efforts.
On Friday, the Seahawks scored a blowout win over the Buffaloes, who are coming off a national tournament appearance in their smaller NAIA division. Freshman forward Devontae Cacok and freshman guard C.J. Bryce each dropped 13 points while freshman forward Trey Grundy added 11 and junior transfer guard Chris Flemmings dropped 10 against Milligan in front of the home crowd at Trask Coliseum.
This marks the first time since 2006 the Seahawks have opened the season with two consecutive wins, providing early evidence that coach Kevin Keatts is picking up where he left off. His debut last season ended six straight years of UNCW losing, and he was named the Colonial Athletic Association coach of the year after the 18-14 Seahawks ended in a four-way tie atop the conference.
In beating the Colonels, the Seahawks team won its first two games for the first time since the 2005 season. And while the smaller Milligan represented a lower division, Keatts said Eastern Kentucky was a good team with a strong offense that he believed would win 20 games this season.
Like they will often this season, the Seahawks relied on defensive pressure to neutralize the Colonels, Keatts said. While the Colonels had 29 assists in their opening game, they had just five on Monday against the Seahawks, and Eastern Kentucky wasn’t able to convert on a field goal through the first nine minutes of the game.
“We wanted to make sure we defended well,” Keatts said. “We wanted to turn them into individual players and I think we did a good job.”
When asked how much emphasis is placed on defense in practice, Ponder said, “A lot.”
“What, 75 to 90 percent every day,” he said. “It depends on how many stops we get on guys’ sets. Sometimes we stay on defense the entire time.”
And while the Seahawks were able to get plenty of experience for the team’s younger players in the opener against Milligan, Keatts said in a “real physical game” like they played against the Colonels, he’ll need to rely on his experienced players.
“I didn’t think our freshmen were going to be great,” Keatts said. “I explained to those guys, every night you’re not going to play a lot of minutes. If we’re going to be successful, each game someone may play a little more minutes than the other guys.”
While he’s happy with the 2-0 start, Keatts sees areas where the Seahawks can improve.
“We need to get a better flow. We’re playing so many different people and I’m switching them out,” he said. “We’re great in transition, we’re very good on the defensive end. We need to step up and make free throws, we’re leaving a lot of points on the line. We’re not a traditional half- court team, so when you’re getting the three-point shots on the offensive end, it’s because you’ve been pressing and running. We have to get in the rhythm of being able to make shots with the way we play, a little fatigued.”
UNCW will play one more home game Saturday night Nov. 21, against Western Michigan at 7 p.m. before traveling for its first road game the following Saturday, Nov. 28, against East Tennessee State
