Seahawks Make a Statement in Win at UNCA
UNCW stepped up its toughness in a major way on Saturday
UNCW 83, UNC Asheville 66
There was a little more excitement in the mountain air Saturday afternoon as fans returned to see a Bulldog team expected to contend for its second straight Big South championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
A university police officer mentioned the number of tickets scanned had already far exceeded the usual crowd, asking “Are y’all supposed to be good too or something?”
“Yeah, we’re pretty excited about this season,” I said, trying my best not to upset the basketball gods.
The Seahawks opted for something a little different, delivering a comprehensive dissertation when faced with the question of how they’d handle a quality peer opponent on the road.
It took five minutes for UNCW to take a lead it would never relinquish, pushing the margin as high as 27 points before finishing off an 83-66 victory that caught the eye of plenty around college hoops.
Tough Enough
It seems Takayo Siddle’s message was received on Monday night.
The first 6-8 minutes of this game was an absolute rock fight, as neither team could find much room to work. Asheville’s on-ball defenders weren’t giving up any space on the perimeter, and clearly affecting the UNCW offense with its physicality. Every rebound down low was just swarm of bodies.
Heck, the scorers’ table even lost two panels when Donovan Newby got tossed on a trap.
Things started to turn when UNCW started attacking Asheville’s physicality, drawing 12 fouls that resulted in 16 of 19 shooting at the free throw line.
And, most importantly, they did it without surrendering any effort on defense, forcing the Bulldogs into an 8 for 28 shooting performance, thanks in part to seamless switches that rarely left an Asheville shooter alone.
Days after some shoddy rebounding against a Division II opponent, the Seahawks held a 22-14 halftime edge on the boards and finished with a 35-22 advantage.
Per Synergy, UNCA got just three uncontested shots in the game — which is half the total that Mount Olive got on Monday.
Major Maleeck
Maleeck Harden-Hayes has certainly had bigger days on the stat sheet, but Saturday’s 16-point, 8-rebound performance is among his most impressive as a Seahawk thanks to a fantastic defensive effort.
Harden-Hayes spent most of the night matched up with Pember, using his height, length and switching ability to navigate all of the screens that came his way. Even on switches, he made several plays to alter shots as the helper.
Pember, who averaged almost 21 points last season, finished the first half with seven points after hitting four free throws and one 3-pointer — the only open, clean look he got, coming on an offensive rebound scramble.
Small sample size, for sure, but if Harden-Hayes is raising his defense to slow down one of the best scorers in the nation, his game is headed for a new stratosphere.
For last season, Synergy puts Harden-Hayes’ defense in the 39th percentile nationally. Through two games of this season, he’s in the 77th percentile.
The Catalyst
Newby has essentially dominated 50 minutes of basketball this season while attempting six field goals.
The sure-handed point guard was a major factor in how the Seahawks controlled the game, finishing with 10 points (7/8 FTA), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 0 turnovers in 30 minutes.
It was obvious the Seahawks were playing well when he was on the floor, but it wasn’t obvious just how well until checking the stats. Plus/minus isn’t a perfect stat, but in this case, its significance couldn’t be ignored: Per Synergy, UNCW was +31 with Newby on the floor. (Next closest was Nolan Hodge at +18.)
Digging further into the Synergy numbers, Newby has created (scored or assisted) on 39 points through two games, which puts him in the 97th percentile nationally.
Oh, and defensively, he has allowed a total of six points (three in each games) on the 17 possessions he was primary defender. That’s in the 93rd percentile nationally.
The Big Takeaway…
Wow.
Even the most optimistic of fans couldn’t have imagined the Hawks would build a 27-point lead in this one and never face much of a threat over the final 25 minutes from a team that will compete for its league title.
Sure, there’s room for improvement with taking care of the ball and transition defense, but those will come along as UNCW gets used to playing at this tempo.
What a way to truly start the season against a really good team.
Next Up
The Seahawks return home to meet Columbia International, an NAIA program, on Tuesday night at Trask.
It will be the final game before UNCW embarks on a five-game road trip that keeps them away from home until Dec. 10.
Tip-Ins
Six Seahawks scored 10+ points on Saturday, while five different players hit at least one 3-pointer.
Shykeim Phillips racked up five steals on Saturday, giving him a total of eight in 47 minutes on the floor this season.
Nolan Hodge’s 19 minutes were a career best against a Division I opponent, and the sophomore took advantage, hitting 3 of 4 attempts from 3-point range.
UNCW jumped 34 slots in the KenPom ratings, now sitting at 111th.