The UNC Wilmington Seahawks (20-6) and the Colonial Athletic’s eighth-ranked offense head to Charleston to take on the Cougars (16-10) and the top-ranked defense in the conference. Action begins at 6:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The Cougars are hoping to rebound after their 62-59 loss to Delaware on Thursday. Cameron Johnson was the team’s leading scorer with 15 points. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their demoralizing 87-69 loss against William & Mary on Thursday. Denzel Ingram had a good game for UNC Wilmington, accounting for 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
Ball control could weigh heavily in this showdown. UNC Wilmington commits the 20th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 15.6%), while the disruptive defense of Charleston forces the 20th-most (opponents’ TO% of 22.2%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Seahawks winning the first matchup 65-55. Chris Flemmings had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 25 points, five rebounds, one steal, one block, and four three-pointers.
The Cougars come into this game 16-10 Straight Up (SU) and 10-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cougars have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 78.9 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 66.2 points per game. The Charleston defense has been struggling to keep points off the board during its most recent matchups. The Cougars have given up an average of 74.0 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 61.6 PPG. Charleston’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Seahawks have 20-6 SU and 12-10 ATS records. Offensively, the Seahawks have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 81.3 points per game after averaging only 58.8 during that stretch. The Seahawks average 72.5 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 55.1 points per game during that span. The Seahawks allow very few three-pointers on defense with 5.0 given up per game.
With the Seahawks’ last win against Charleston, their SU record is now 6-4 over Charleston in their most recent meetings. The Seahawks also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – NC-Wil, ATS Winner – NC-Wil
Notes
“College of Charleston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of College of Charleston’s last 5 games “.
“College of Charleston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of College of Charleston’s last 8 games at home”.
“College of Charleston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing UNC Wilmington”.
“College of Charleston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing UNC Wilmington”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of College of Charleston’s last 5 games when playing UNC Wilmington”.
“College of Charleston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against UNC Wilmington”.
“College of Charleston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against UNC Wilmington”.
“UNC Wilmington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against College of Charle”.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks average 81.3 points per game, ranking 20th in the nation. The Charleston Cougars rank ninth in points allowed with 61.6.
UNC Wilmington lost its last game by an 18-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Charleston is 5-1. UNC Wilmington is 8-1 in blowouts this season.
UNC Wilmington beats Charleston in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Seahawks average 72.5 possessions and 1.122 points per possession, while the Cougars average 65.3 possessions with 1.014 points per possession.
Charleston has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.1%. UNC Wilmington is a winning 7-3 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Charleston Cougars average 19.0 three point attempts per game, and the UNC Wilmington Seahawks attempt 21.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, Charleston is an even 5-5, while UNC Wilmington has a winning record of 11-4.
UNC Wilmington, the 64th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.5 per game. Charleston does worse, ranked 305th with 2.3.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks rank 73rd in offensive rebounds. The Charleston Cougars rank 247th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Though Charleston is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 22.2% (ranked 20th), UNC Wilmington is undefeated (2-0) when its TO% is 22.2% or greater.
