Four Takeaways: UNCW 76, UNC Asheville 68
Seahawks flip the script in second outing
Go ahead, admit it: you’re a little excited.
Not because it was beautiful or perfect or even particularly great execution.
Nope.
Instead, it’s because after watching UNCW basketball bang its head on a wall for two seasons, hoping the wall might give up (it rarely did), it took all of two games to see growth from these Seahawks under Coach Takayo Siddle.
After a subpar opening-day performance vs. Western Carolina left a bitter taste, UNCW responded with a 76-68 victory over UNC Asheville at Kimmel Arena on Friday afternoon.
Jaylen Sims led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds while Jake Boggs added 19 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
Given the Seahawks are back in action on Sunday, a few brief takeaways from a victory over a UNCA team that should compete to win the Big South:
Bouncing Back
After a quick run caused UNCW to wilt on Wednesday, it did the opposite on Friday.
Strangely, it started slipping away from the Seahawks at almost the exact same time against the Bulldogs, with UNCA going up 52-44 with 13:09 remaining. After UNCW cut into that lead, UNCA seemed to be ready to put it away when it went up 60-50 with 9:08 to go.
Instead, Boggs singlehandedly turned the tide with a confident 3-pointer from the top of the key, followed by consecutive blocks that led to a total of four points.
The contrast was clear from the loss to WCU: when things went south for the UNCW offense, the Seahawks lost focus on defense.
This time around, they withstood everything the Bulldogs threw their way and turned to defense to create scoring.
“I’m just proud of my guys,” Siddle said. “We fought, we clawed; that’s what UNCW basketball is all about. We were the tougher team and I’m proud of them.”
Speaking of Boggs…
Holy goodness.
Even in the most optimistic of situations, it was hard to see the sophomore forward improving this much, especially in an atypical offseason.
Boggs was nothing short of phenomenal for the second straight game, getting UNCW going early with eight points in the first five minutes, sparking the big second-half rally with his offense and defense, then coming up a key bucket, rebound and block in the final minutes to put it away.
There were hints of Boggs’ offensive potential and versatility as a freshman, but largely, he wasn’t affecting the game beyond scoring.
Now, he’s more than holding his own as a defender and rebounder, which gives Siddle the flexibility to play Boggs with four guards, putting him in a great spot for a mismatch against the opposing defender in the center spot.
Through two games, Boggs is averaging 18 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, hitting 14 of 23 from the field, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
No Settling
As things got away from UNCW against WCU, the Seahawks — an average long-range shooting team — kept hoisting 3-pointers, finishing 8 of 26 from beyond the arc and 15 of 36 on 2-point attempts.
On Friday, UNCW hit 4 of 11 3-point attempts and 20 of 39 on 2-point attempts as the offense found more flow and better looks.
One thing has been a constant so far, and that’s been creating contact and making the best of it, with UNCW going 22 of 31 at the free throw line vs. WCU and 24 of 32 vs. UNCA.
Most emblematic of that aggressive approach has been Sims, who with the help of making 21 of 27 free throw attempts in two games, is averaging 25.5 points.
Last season, Sims averaged 4.2 free throw attempts per game, while as a team, UNCW averaged 18.1.
Doing Your Job
After eight players saw at least 11 minutes in the opener, Siddle trimmed his rotation to six players going for 22 or more minutes vs. UNCA, with Brent Jenkins and Imajae Dodd getting six minutes apiece. John Bowen, who started the opener, didn’t play on Friday.
Defensive stopper Brian Tolefree, who played nine minutes vs. WCU, got 22 minutes vs. UNCA and chipped in six points, including a key layup.
One of the biggest differences was a complete performance from Mike Okauru, who after struggling vs. WCU, stayed aggressive through a tough shooting night and finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Right now, rebounding is going to take a team effort, and if a guard can grab 10, UNCW’s chances to win improve greatly.
“I thought guys came in off the bench and did their jobs,” Siddle said. “That’s a message I always talk to my guys about, just doing your job, whether you’re playing five minutes or 20 minutes.”