Did the Seahawks Take a Step in Split?
Here’s what we learned from UNCW’s series with Delaware
Delaware 67, UNCW 62
Another CAA matchup, another game decided in the final minute.
Just 24 hours after they made all of the big plays down the stretch, the Seahawks found themselves on the other end as the offense went cold and the Blue Hens finished on a 6-0 run to escape with a victory on Sunday at Trask Coliseum.
UNCW led for more than 28 minutes, including an 11-point advantage with 11:44 to play before missing 11 of its final 13 attempts from the field en route to its worst shooting performance of the season, hitting 20 of 58 (34.5 percent) overall and 3 of 20 (15 percent) from 3-point range.
Here’s what we learned today — and in the big picture — as the Seahawks fell to 7-6 and 1-3 in the CAA.
Razor-Thin Margin
UNCW is a few good bounces from being 4-0 in the league and a few bad rolls from being 0-4.
The Seahawks have had some success in crunch time this season, but in three of the past four games it’s gone the opposite direction with overdribbling, rushed shots and near-misses.
On Sunday, four turnovers in the final 6:34 compounded the shooting struggles.
“I thought we kind of got tight and guys that we needed to step up and make shots didn’t make them,” UNCW coach Takayo Siddle said. “I thought we turned the ball over at crucial times in the game and some of them led to run-outs for lay ups and I just thought down the stretch they wanted it a little more than we did and they were a little more locked-in than we were.”
As has been the case in several losses this season, offensive struggles have disrupted UNCW’s defensive focus, as Delaware (5-7, 3-4) made 9 of 13 field goal attempts over the final 11 minutes.
“We had the pop to us to win the game and then when we stopped scoring, I thought it affected us on the other end of the floor and our energy and toughness kind of died down,” Siddle said.
That was apparent in the Blue Hens’ 13-6 rebounding margin over that stretch, including three offensive boards that resulted in six points.
“It just comes down to stops on the defensive end,” guard Ty Gadsden said. “We haven’t gotten enough stops yet, and that’s really it. The more stops we get, the easier our offense will come.”
Gotta Make Shots
UNCW’s shots weren’t the problem on Sunday, but making them was.
Unlike the Towson series, where some iffy shot selection played into the Seahawks going 13 of 44 from beyond the arc, bad luck is the only explanation for a a 9-of-38 performance on 3-point attempts against Delaware.
Early on, Gadsden (1/6) was routinely getting good looks from the wing, with several looking like makes when they left his hand. Boggs (1/6) had open shots, as did Jaylen Sims (0/3).
It just wasn’t to be on Sunday, as UNCW posted what was easily its worst 3-point percentage of the season and fewest makes. After shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc in nonconference play, the Seahawks have converted 26.8 percent (22 of 82) in CAA play.
Siddle wasn’t concerned.
“I thought we had great looks,” he said. “If you go back and look at the game … you might be able to pick a few out … they just weren’t falling for us.
“I want my guys to step up and take those shots when they’re open and I thought for the most part, the majority of them were open shots and they were in rhythm, and they just didn’t go for us.”
Gadsden said it was just a matter of overthinking.
“We were just thinking too much out there and we couldn’t get the ball to drop — that’s all,” he said.
Depth Issues
The roster is what it is and from the way things sound, it’ll be a while before that might change with the return of Shykeim Phillips.
Of the 400 available minutes on Saturday and Sunday, six players accounted for 387 minutes in the third and fourth games since Monday.
No one in teal wants to talk about the workload, but there’s just no way for the Seahawks to truly play their style of basketball at a high level for 400 minutes every weekend with a six-man rotation.
John Bowen returned on Sunday, playing one minute, so he appears on the way back to his regular place on the rotation. No word on Brian Tolefree, who was out for both games.
With a maximum of eight scholarship players available at the moment, there’s no real adjustment to be made other than hoping Imajae Dodd can get more comfortable and steal some minutes.
The Big Picture
There was more positive than negative to take out of this weekend.
The Seahawks got back to who they are in sharing the ball, getting good looks and playing with energy, leading for 47 minutes in the two games.
UNCW didn’t make enough shots to win the game on Sunday, and when you’re evaluating a team, whether a good, open shot goes in is somewhere near the bottom of the list of concerns.
This team has limitations beyond its control in depth and how roster construction, but overall, it played the right way for nearly the entire weekend.
The 10 minutes that it didn’t on Sunday were a tough lesson that resulted in a loss, and hopefully, that comes in handy soon with preseason favorite Hofstra coming to town next weekend.
If there’s ever a chance to build confidence, it’s with an opportunity against the CAA’s top program over the past several seasons.