The UNC Wilmington Seahawks (20-5) visit William & Mary to take on the Tribe (17-8) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Tribe fell to Towson 99-82 in their last game. Terry Tarpey had a solid performance, recording 15 points, eight rebounds, and two assists for William & Mary. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 78-68 win over James Madison in their last game. Chris Flemmings had a good game and claimed his fourth double-double of the season, accumulating 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Omar Prewitt has been playing at a high level as of late for the Tribe, averaging 22.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers over the last five games.
The Seahawks should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank 20th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.6%). Meanwhile, William & Mary forces the 11th-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 15.0% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Seahawks winning the first matchup 97-94. In the loss, David Cohn had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists.
The Tribe have gone 17-8 Straight Up (SU) and 13-6 Against The Spread (ATS). William & Mary has consistently been near the top of the nation in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking 19th in the nation with a FG% of .485. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than William & Mary, which ranks 10th at 1.55. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Tribe, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the country with an average of 28.7 per game. Expect William & Mary to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Seahawks, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 24.1 fouls per game.
On the other side, the Seahawks head into the game with records of 12-9 ATS and 20-5 SU. UNC Wilmington performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Seahawks rank 16th in the country in scoring, averaging 81.8 points per game. The Seahawks average 72.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 78.3 points per game during that span. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Seahawks, who are sixth in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 130 this season. When it comes to stealing the ball, the Seahawks are one of the best in the nation with an average of 8.0 steals per game. UNC Wilmington has not committed many turnovers, averaging only 11.3 per game.
UNC Wilmington beat William & Mary in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake William & Mary in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 4-4-2 record. William & Mary held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, UNC Wilmington never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – NC-Wil, ATS Winner – NC-Wil
Notes
William & Mary averages 77.7 points per game (ranked 65th). UNC Wilmington, on the other hand, allows 72.0 points per game (ranked 147th).
William & Mary scores 79.8 points per home game (ranked 83rd). UNC Wilmington ranks a poor 103rd in points allowed on the road, allowing 72.7 points.
The William & Mary Tribe rank 33rd for their offensive rating of 113.5. The UNC Wilmington Seahawks have a defensive rating of 99.0 (ranked 85th).
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks average 72.6 possessions per game and 1.126 points per possession. The William & Mary Tribe earn fewer possessions with 68.4, but they score more points with 1.135.
William & Mary has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.5% (ranked 20th). UNC Wilmington is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Ranked 21st in the nation, William & Mary has an average of 16.7 assists per game. UNC Wilmington ranks lower at 134th with 14.0.
William & Mary ranks 54th in blocks per game with 4.7 and UNC Wilmington ranks 57th with 4.6 blocks per game.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks rank 73rd in offensive rebounds, and the William & Mary Tribe rank 19th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, William & Mary forces a turnover rate of 15.0%. When UNC Wilmington turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an outstanding 11-2 record.
