The UNC Wilmington Seahawks (2-0) play the Western Michigan Broncos (1-1) at Raiford G. Trask Coliseum. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The Seahawks won big over Eastern Kentucky 78-59 in their last matchup. Craig Ponder was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting. The Broncos, meanwhile, are coming off a 74-62 win over San Diego in their last game. Drake Lamont had a good game, accumulating nine points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
UNC Wilmington is a small one-point favorite at home against Western Michigan. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 144 points. The Seahawks have started off well with a 2-0 record Straight Up (SU) as well as Against The Spread (ATS). The Seahawks have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 89.0 points per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the UNC Wilmington defense has been very good, only giving up 60.5 points per game. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Seahawks, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .336. An area where the Seahawks are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 8.5 blocks per game, sixth in Division I.
As for their opponent, Western Michigan has identical records of 1-1 SU and ATS so far. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Broncos, who are 48th in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 11 this season.
UNC Wilmington and Western Michigan have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – NC-Wil, ATS Winner – NC-Wil, O/U – Over
Notes
UNC Wilmington is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games.
UNC Wilmington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home.
UNC Wilmington averages 89.0 points per game (ranked 40th). Western Michigan, on the other hand, allows 65.5 points per game (ranked 101st).
Ranked 75th, the UNC Wilmington Seahawks have an offensive rating of 116.2. The Western Michigan Broncos rank 188th with a defensive rating of just 100.6.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks average 76.6 possessions and 1.162 points per possession in games this season. The Western Michigan Broncos average fewer possessions with 64.9, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.055.
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks attempt 24.0 three pointers per game this season, while the Western Michigan Broncos attempt 21.0. When they register 20 or more three point attempts in a game, UNC Wilmington is undefeated (2-0) while Western Michigan is winless (0-1).
UNC Wilmington, the sixth-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 8.5 per game. Western Michigan ranks lower at 309th with 1.5.
UNC Wilmington ranks 48th in offensive rebounding. Western Michigan ranks 182nd in defensive rebounding.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 16.2% when playing Western Michigan this season. UNC Wilmington is undefeated this season (1-0) when its TO% is 16.2% or higher.
