The UNC Wilmington Seahawks (19-5), the Colonial Athletic’s top scoring team, will go head-to-head against the James Madison Dukes (19-7) at Raiford G. Trask Coliseum. Action begins at 3:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 13 and can be seen on NBS.
The Seahawks enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Elon 86-82 on Thursday. Jordon Talley was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points on 4-for-9 shooting. The Dukes, meanwhile, are coming off a 56-52 win against Charleston on Thursday. Ron Curry led the game in scoring by registering 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
The Seahawks could put on a ball-control clinic in this one. They’re ranked 24th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of only 15.6%). Additionally, James Madison forces the 22nd-fewest turnovers in the nation (15.6%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Seahawks winning the first matchup 78-73. Chris Flemmings finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
The Seahawks have gone 19-5 Straight Up (SU) and 11-9 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). The Seahawks have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 75.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 82.0 points per game. UNC Wilmington’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 66.2 during that span, compared to its 72.1 season average. Opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Seahawks, who rank 24th in the country in steals per game with 8.1. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the UNC Wilmington offense, which averages just 11.4 turnovers per game.
As for their opponent, the Dukes have records of 13-10 ATS and 19-7 SU. Offensively, they average 75.5 points per game on the road, which is 46th in the country. The Dukes average 67.7 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 73.4 points per game during that span. The Dukes have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .290. Defensive rebounding is an area where James Madison has excelled. The Dukes average 26.5 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation. One advantage for the Dukes could be UNC Wilmington’s high fouls per game average of 24.2.
With the Seahawks’ last win against James Madison, UNC Wilmington moved closer to evening up its record against James Madison. It now stands at 4-6 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, UNC Wilmington holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. UNC Wilmington held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, while James Madison was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NC-Wil, ATS Winner – NC-Wil
Notes
“UNC Wilmington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“UNC Wilmington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 7 of UNC Wilmington’s last 10 games “.
“UNC Wilmington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“UNC Wilmington is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UNC Wilmington’s last 6 games at home”.
“UNC Wilmington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing James Madison”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 10 of UNC Wilmington’s last 13 games when playing James Madison”.
“UNC Wilmington is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against James Madison”.
“UNC Wilmington is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against James Madison”.
“UNC Wilmington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against James Madison”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UNC Wilmington’s last 5 games when playing at home against James Madison”.
UNC Wilmington is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 82.0 points per game (ranked 17th). James Madison allows 67.7 points per game (ranked 72nd).
James Madison scores 75.5 points per away game (ranked 46th). UNC Wilmington ranks a poor 185th in points allowed at home, allowing 71.6 points.
The James Madison Dukes rank 69th for their offensive rating of 111.3. The UNC Wilmington Seahawks have a defensive rating of 99.2 (ranked 93rd).
James Madison has an average field goal percentage of 45.2%. UNC Wilmington is a winning 6-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks rank higher based on their field goal percentage (79th) than their effective field goal percentage (110th). The James Madison Dukes rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (62nd) than their field goal percentage (112th).
UNC Wilmington ranks 73rd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24. James Madison is ranked lower at 148th with an A/TO of 1.10.
UNC Wilmington ranks 67th in rebounds per game with 38.8 and James Madison ranks 54th with 39.2 rebounds per game.
James Madison ranks 194th in offensive rebounds, while UNC Wilmington ranks at 100th in defensive rebounds.
On average, James Madison forces a turnover rate of 15.6%. When UNC Wilmington turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a superb 11-2 record.
