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Seahawks gear up for Tigers

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By: John Smist - bio | email

UNCW Press Release

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Youth will be served Saturday at 2 p.m. in a matchup between two of the nation's youngest teams when UNCW tries to pull out of a slide that has produced five losses in six games against Towson in Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball action at the Towson Center.

Head Coach Buzz Peterson's UNCW squad, 8-12 overall and 4-6 in the CAA, sits in eighth place in the conference 10 games into the 18-contest league slate. The Tigers remain winless on the year, last in the CAA with at 0-22 overall and 0-10 in conference action, losing 41 consecutive games overall and 30 conference games in a row.

The game can be heard on the radio locally on Sunny 104.5 FM and viewed on ESPN3.com. Both coaching staffs will wear tennis shoes as part of the Coaches Vs. Cancer Suit and Sneakers Awareness Weekend conducted by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

"Coach (Pat) Skerry has done a great job with Towson's program," said Peterson. "The record might not indicate it, but they are much improved and playing hard every game. Robert Nwankwo is a handful, so we must be active on the boards again. It will be a very difficult game for us. We'll have to focus on the task at hand to come back with a victory."

Defending conference champion Old Dominion handed UNCW its second-straight loss, 53-48, Wednesday at Trask Coliseum. The Seahawks managed just 30.2 percent shooting from the field, the second-lowest percentage under Peterson.

As many as 12 freshmen could see action in Saturday's contest between the two youthful squads, with both UNCW and Towson fielding six freshmen apiece.

The Tigers still have Nwankwo, a reliable forward who is nearly averaging a double double with 11.5 points and 8.9 boards per game. The 6-8, 220-pound bruiser will look to make life tough on UNCW junior forward Keith Rendleman.

Sophomore guard Marcus Damas is the only other Towson player averaging in double figures, scoring 11.9 points per contest.

The Tiger duo led Towson's club in its last matchup, a 67-42 home loss to VCU. Nwankwo captured a double double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Damas collected nine points and seven boards.

Freshman guard Adam Smith paces the Seahawks offensively to the tune of 15.5 points per contest. Rendleman averages a double-double at 15.2 markers and 11.0 rebounds a contest.

UNCW and Towson are meeting for the 26th time, but played just once during the regular season. The Seahawks lead the all-time series, 16-9, and have won two straight, three out of the last four and six of the last 10 matchups. Since the Tigers joined the CAA 10 years ago, UNCW has enjoyed a 13-5 advantage over the Maryland-based squad.

Towson's last victory over a CAA opponent was actually over the Seahawks. The Tigers knocked off UNCW, 91-74, on March 5, 2010, at the 2010 CAA Tournament in Richmond. Junior guard RaShawn Polk poured in 20 points to lead four Towson players in double figures. The Tigers led by as many as 30 points before the final verdict.

In the last meeting between the teams, Chad Tomko scored 11 of his season-high 31 points in overtime as UNCW rallied from 22 points down in the second half to stun Towson, 95-93, on Feb. 12, 2011, at the Towson Center. The Seahawks trailed, 58-36, with 14:02 remaining before Tomko caught fire and Matt Wilson went to work. Wilson contributed a career-high 19 points, including 17 in the second half and overtime. Ahmad Grant added 24 points in the dramatic comeback. Sophomore forward Isaiah Philmore, who moved on to Xavier, poured in a career-high 33 points for Towson.

The Seahawks are 6-6 lifetime against the Tigers at the Towson Center, but has reeled off three straight wins on the floor.

After taking on the Tigers Saturday, the Seahawks return to the Port City for a two-game homestand, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1, against Georgia State.