UNCW has won three straight behind improved defense

UNCW 65, Campbell 58

Christmas came early, but it wasn’t because the visiting Camels were in a generous mood.

With a back-and-forth game hanging in the balance, the Seahawks took a hard-fought victory with a strong finish, topping Campbell 65-58 on Wednesday afternoon at Trask Coliseum.

Box Score | PDF Box Score | UNCW Photo Gallery

Jaylen Sims was masterful from the start on his way to a season-high 23 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Okauru scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half to go along with seven rebounds.

With the victory, UNCW carries a three-game winning streak into the holiday break, finishing above .500 in nonconference play for the second season in a row.

Here’s what we learned on Wednesday.

Clutch Points

A Greek philosopher — and thousands of tweets and Instagram posts — said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

A lot has happened to this team over the first 11 games, and not all of it has been fun.

There were the games the Hawks saw leads get away (Illinois State, Norfolk State) and they just couldn’t make plays down the stretch to reel it back in. There were the games where they fell behind only to see furious rallies ultimately run out of gas at Pittsburgh and vs. Southern Miss. Then, there was the debacle at Jacksonville that wasn’t close after the first five minutes— the only such performance this season.

Since then?

The Seahawks took care of business vs. Mount Olive, gutted out an overtime win at High Point and finished on a 9-0 run to beat Campbell.

After the Camels took a 51-44 lead with 11:16 to go on Wednesday, UNCW buckled down defensively, holding Campbell to 1 of 11 from the field the rest of the way. Even more impressive, six of the Camels’ 11 turnovers came in the final 7:30, including a shot-clock violation with a minute remaining.

The Seahawk offense wasn’t great down the stretch, but it did enough, hitting 6 of 18 attempts in the final 11:16 to go with a perfect 5 for 5 at the free throw line over the final 90 seconds.

Over the final two minutes of regulation plus overtime in the wins over HPU and Campbell, UNCW has made 8 of 11 from the field and 7 of 9 at the free throw line.

It took a few tough endings to figure it out, but the Seahawks are learning how to win.

Defending Trask

Not only did the Camels bring the most efficient offense the Seahawks have faced this season, but it’s also a unique attack that neutralizes UNCW’s strengths of ball pressure and denial.

Wisely, Coach Takayo Siddle and assistant Kurt Kanaskie, who coordinates the defense, made the decision to switch every screen and mostly stay home, resulting in the Seahawks rarely falling victim to Campbell’s skilled passers on backdoor cuts.

The Camels ended up with their lowest points-per-possession mark of the season at .91, fewest assists (5) and fewest field goals (19). Campbell’s 58 points and 38 percent shooting were their second-lowest marks of the season, only edging out their numbers in a 67-56 loss at Duke.

It wasn’t a flashy defensive performance with big turnover (11) or steal (5) totals, but it was great coaching and great execution — especially from the guards who held their own and rebounded when switched onto Campbell’s big men.

Through the loss at Jacksonville, opponents were shooting 44.4 percent from the field. Over the past three games, that percentage has dipped to 37.

UNCW is packing things a little tighter and helping more toward the lane, which has led to opponents putting up more attempts from beyond the arc, and so far, that’s working out well. Over the first eight games, opponents shot 39.1 percent (47 of 120) on 15 3-point attempts per game; in the past three games, it’s 27.6 percent (16 of 58) on 19.3 attempts per game.

On the morning of Dec. 12, UNCW’s KenPom defensive efficiency — which doesn’t consider Non-D1 opponents — ranking stood at No. 321.

Fewer than two weeks later, the Seahawks have moved by 31 spots, ranking No. 290.

Opener and Closer

Sims, quite literally, got is started and Okauru made sure the Seahawks finished it off, combining for 40 points on 13 of 23 from the field to go with 14 rebounds — their highest point total of the season, and easily, the biggest percentage (61.5) of the scoring.

Sims knocked down a good looking, rhythm 3-pointer in the first minute and looked like the same confident scorer that briefly led the nation last November, teeing it up from long range and routinely beating his man to get into the lane.

Then the Camels slowed him down in the second half, Okauru delivered 15 points in the final 11 minutes of the game, including an all-hustle offensive board and 3-point play that put the Seahawks ahead for good with 1:30 to play.

Sims is settling into his new role as the primary ballhandler nicely, and over the past two games, he’s had a different type of confidence in getting to the bucket. Maybe that’s strategic, or maybe it’s related to Sims suffering a serious leg injury that required surgery less than a year ago. Whatever it is, he’s playing with as much confidence as ever.

Okauru, meanwhile, probably hasn’t gotten enough credit this season for his consistency while usually taking on the challenge of guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player.

If UNCW can get that sort of output from those two moving forward, the Seahawks are going to win a lot of games in CAA play.

Taking a Break

The Seahawks head home for Christmas with a winning record for the second straight year — something that hadn’t happened in the three seasons before Siddle’s arrival.

Unfortunately, that positive momentum all went out the window last season as UNCW was hit with its first COVID shutdown on Jan. 2, 2021, and amid injuries and stoppages, the Seahawks never regained their footing.

With the Omicron variant currently wreaking havoc throughout the world of sports and beyond, it’s anyone’s guess what happens next as people get together for Christmas and spend time on planes and in airports.

The team is due back in Wilmington on Sunday to prepare for the CAA-opener vs. Drexel on Wednesday, and hopefully, everyone makes it through the holiday safe and healthy and they can play as scheduled.

With this team trending up, it would be unfortunate to see shutdown halt its momentum for the second straight season.