WILMINGTON, North Carolina - The UNCW women's basketball team looks to complete a season sweep of William & Mary Thursday as it welcomes the Tribe to Trask Coliseum for a 7 p.m. Colonial Athletic Association contest.

Seahawk Storylines

• The Seahawks (2-15, 1-5 CAA) return home after wrapping up a two-game road swing with a 55-53 setback at Towson on Sunday.
• Senior Karneshia Garrett and freshman Dana Brown chipped in 14 points apiece and senior Tawanna Lee pitched in 13, but the Tigers took advantage of an 18-point, 10-rebound effort from senior Michelle Peebles and a 36-28 advantage on the glass to record the two-point victory.
• The UNCW women's basketball program is in its 40th season of competition and has compiled an all-time record of 459-576 (.443) entering today's contest. The Seahawks have recorded four 20-wins seasons (1983-84, 2002-03, 2010-11, 2011-12) and made two postseason appearances ( 2011 & 2012 WNIT) in that span.
• UNCW has struggled to rebound the basketball this season as it ranks 11th in the CAA in rebounding margin (-6.0). The Seahawks have been out-rebounded by their opponent in all but three of its 17 games this season, but did post a positive rebounding margin (33-to-25) in its victory at William & Mary on Jan. 8.
• The Seahawks have made it hard for the opposition to make shots from the field this season as opponents are making just 38.8 percent (409-of-1053) of their tries from the field this season, representing the sixth-best field goal percentage defense in program history. Of UNCW's 17 opponents this season, only six (Liberty, NKU, North Carolina A&T, William & Mary, Drexel and ODU) have shot better than 40 percent from the field against UNCW.
• UNCW has struggled to shoot the basketball this season, ranking 10th in the CAA and 269th nationally in field goal percentage, making just 36.1 percent (327-of-905) of its attempts from the floor this season. The Seahawks have shot better than 40 percent from the floor in just five of 17 games this season, including three of their last five contests (William & Mary, Drexel and Towson).
• Senior forward Karneshia Garrett has been a force to be reckoned with on the glass this season as she enters Sunday's contest 27th in the nation in rebounds per game (10.5). She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of 16 games played this season, highlighted by a pair of 18-rebound performances at Wake Forest (Nov. 14) and against North Carolina Central (Nov. 28). Garrett pulled down 12 boards and added 14 points for her fifth double-double of the season in the Seahawks contest at Towson on Sunday.
• Junior guard Jessica Freeman leads the team in scoring (10.4) and steals (2.3) and ranks third in assists (2.3). Freeman has served as an iron-woman of sorts for the Seahawks, having played all 40 minutes in eight games this season, including seven of the last eight contests. She ranks second in the league in minutes played per game (36.5).
• Senior guard Tawanna Lee has enjoyed considerable success against the Tribe during her UNCW career, averaging 17.0 points and 4.3 assists in three previous matchups. Lee, who has shot 50.0 percent (17-of-34) from the field and 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from three-point range in those contests, poured in 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting in the Seahawks 61-52 win over William & Mary on Jan. 8.

Towson Recap
UNCW wrapped up a two-game road swing with a 55-53 setback at Towson on Jan. 27.

• In a tight contest that saw neither team hold a lead of more than six points over the final 35 minutes, UNCW trailed 55-50 when a 3-pointer by Lee from the right elbow made it a two-point contest, 55-53, with 66 seconds showing. The two sides would trade empty possessions before senior Tawanna Lee missed a last-second attempt that would have forced overtime.
• Senior Michelle Peebles poured in a game-high 18 points and added 10 rebounds for Towson while fellow senior Tanisha McTiller chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds as the Tigers held a 36-28 advantage on the glass, highlighted by 18 offensive rebounds that they were able to convert into 20 second-chance points
• Senior Karneshia Garrett and freshman Dana Brown scored 14 points apiece to power a UNCW attack that shot 43.8 percent (21-of-48) from the floor for the game.
• Brown established a new season high with her 14 points, breaking the old mark of 11 set at Xavier on Dec. 18. It also marked the fourth time this season that she had reached double digits.
• Lee joined the duo in double figures with 13 points as she reached double figures for the seventh time this season and the 23rd time in her career.
• Garrett also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to post her fifth double-double of the season and the 12th of her career. Garrett reached double figures in points for the eighth time this season and the 23rd time in her career and recorded double digit rebounds for the eighth time this season and the 16th time in her career.
• Towson picked up its first win in seven tries against the Seahawks as UNCW saw its lead in the all-time series trimmed to 13-8. The loss was the first for the Seahawks against the Tigers since a 62-52 setback at the Towson Center on Jan. 21, 2010.
• UNCW shot above 40 percent from the floor for the fifth time this season and the first time in three games. The Seahawks moved to 2-3 this season when shooting better than 40 percent from the field.
• The Seahawks held a lead at halftime for just the third time this season and moved to 1-2 when doing so. UNCW also moved to 68-19 since the start of the 2007-08 season when holding a lead at the break.
• Both teams shot above 80 percent at the free-throw line as UNCW shot a season-high 83.3 percent (5-of-6) while Towson made 81.8 percent (9-of-11) of its tries from the charity stripe. It marked just the third time this season that the Seahawks have shot better than 70 percent from the free-throw line.
• The Seahawks held their opponent to below 40 percent shooting for the 11th time this season as the Tigers were 22-of-58 (.379) from the floor for the game.
• UNCW shot better than 33 percent from 3-point range for the fourth time this season as it made 6 of 18 tries from three-point range. Towson was just 2-of-13 from three-point range, missing its final seven attempts from beyond the arc, including all six of its tries in the second half.
• UNCW was out-rebounded for the 13th time this season and moved to 0-13 on the season when that occurs.

Scouting William & Mary

• William & Mary (4-14; 2-5 CAA) enters Thursday's contest looking to extend their winning streak to three games after posting a 73-69 victory over rival Old Dominion on Sunday.
• Senior Emily Correal continues to serve as the catalyst of the Tribe attack as she ranks in the top seven of the league in both scoring (15.4/6th) and rebounding (8.0/7th).
• Senior Janine Aldridge is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.2 points per outing, which ranks eighth in the conference. Aldridge tallied a game-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the Tribe's victory over the Lady Monarchs.
• Sophomore Anna Kestler has served as the quarterback of the Tribe attack, dishing out a team-high 55 assists. Kestler has done a good job of holding onto the basketball, ranking fourth in the CAA with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Debbie Taylor is in her 14th season as head coach of the Tribe. A former letterwinner in both women's basketball and lacrosse for William & Mary, Taylor has led the program to a 142-257 mark during her time in Williamsburg.

Series Notes Versus William & Mary

• Tuesday's game marks the 60th meeting between UNCW and William and Mary in a series that dates back to the 1981-82 season.
• The Tribe holds a 30-29 edge in the series, but the Seahawks have won each of the last eight meetings, including a 61-52 victory at Kaplan Arena in their first meeting this season on Jan. 8.
• UNCW's 59 previous contests against William and Mary represent the third highest number of contests against an opponent in program history. In fact, the Tribe is just one of four programs (George Mason (60) James Madison (59), and East Carolina (54)) that the Seahawks have played on more than 50 occasions during their 40-year history.
• UNCW holds a 18-8 mark against William & Mary at home. The Seahawks have won each of the last four meetings and five of the last seven matchups against the Tribe at Trask Coliseum, including last season's 80-77 shootout on Feb. 5. The Seahawks last loss to the Tribe at home came in a 67-57 setback on Feb. 25, 2008.

Half-Dollar Defense

The Seahawks are 53-0 since the start of the 2002-03 campaign when limiting the opposition to 50 points or less.

• UNCW held its first opponent to 50 points or less during the Adell Harris era with a 59-45 victory over North Carolina Central on Nov. 28. The win also marked the first time the Seahawks had limited its opposition to fewer than 50 points since a 76-47 victory at Towson on Feb. 24, 2011.
• The last time the Seahawks lost a game in which they held their opponent to less than 50 points was a 49-44 setback at rival Campbell on Nov. 17, 2001.

Interstate 70

UNCW is 69-8 (.896) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when it scores 70 or more points in a contest.

• The Seahawks were 10-1 in 2011-12 and are 23-2 since the start of the 2010-11 season when reaching the 70-point plateau.
• UNCW's last loss when scoring 70 or more points came in a 79-73 setback to Appalachian State in the first round of the Postseason WNIT last March.

Getting Off To a Good Start important for UNCW

The Seahawks are 68-19 (.782) since the start of the 2007-08 season when leading at halftime.

• UNCW is 1-2 this season when holding a halftime advantage. The Seahawks two losses under such circumstances came in a 63-58 setback to Charlotte on Dec. 5, a game in which they led the 49ers, 25-24, at the break, and a 55-53 defeat at Towson on Jan. 27, a game that saw UNCW hold a 30-27 advantage at intermission.
• On the flip side, the Seahawks are just 21-64 (.247) since 2007-08 when trailing at intermission. UNCW picked up its first win under such circumstances this season with its victory at William & Mary, overcoming a 23-22 halftime deficit to pick up the win.

Double-Digit Dominance

UNCW has benefitted from building big leads in recent years as it is a combined 69-5 (.932) since the start of the 2007-08 season when it holds a lead of 10 points or more during a contest.

• The Seahawks are 2-0 this season under such circumstances. The last time UNCW lost a game in which it led by 10 points or more came in a 63-54 setback to Eastern Michigan in the second round of the Postseason WNIT on March 21, 2011. In that game, the Seahawks lead by as many as 13 before falling by nine to the Eagles.
• The Seahawks have struggled to overcome big deficits in that same timeframe, posting an 12-71 (.145) mark during games in which they have trailed by 10 points or more. Nine of those 12 victories, however, have come since the start of the 2010-11 season, including their 61-52 victory at William & Mary on Jan. 8 that saw the Seahawks erase a 14-point deficit in the second half on their way to victory.

Youth movement

According to research conducted by the athletic communications department at St. John's University, UNCW Head Coach Adell Harris is one of the youngest Division I head coaches in the country.

• Harris is the 10th youngest head coach in the nation based on birth date, having celebrated her 32nd birthday on May 1, just two days before accepting the head coaching position at UNCW.
• Harris is the youngest coach in the CAA, but not the youngest in the state of North Carolina. That honor goes to High Point Head Coach DeUnna Hendrix. The 28-year-old is in her first season as head coach of the Panthers.

Harris, McGowen Reunited

When UNCW Head Coach Adell Harris took over the Seahawks program last May, she was already familiar with one player on her new roster from her time at Tusculum College.

• Harris coached current UNCW senior Chelsea McGowen at Tusculum during the 2009-10 season.
• Together the duo combined to lead the Pioneers to a 23-10 overall record, the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight.
• McGowen averaged 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds during her freshman season before transferring to Brunswick Community College for the 2011-12 campaign.

Freeman, Lee Making Their Way Up school's Three-Point Chart

Senior Tawanna Lee and redshirt junior Jessica Freeman are both making their way up the school's career three-point field goals made chart.

• Freeman currently sits in 8th place on the all-time list with 88 three-pointers made while Lee is tied for 11th with 75 treys made in her career.
• Freeman surpassed Katy Walters for 10th place on the school's career three-point field goals made list (79) with her three made trifectas in UNCW's game at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 20. Freeman enters today's game just two 3-pointers away from matching Jeri Lynn Coker for seventh place on the all-time list.
• Both players have been consistent from beyond the arc during their careers, with Lee sixth (.346) and Freeman 10th (.331) on the squad's chart for career three-point field goal percentage. Freeman led the league in three-point field goal percentage last season (.414), while Lee ranks ninth on the circuit this season in that category (.349).

Seahawks Tabbed Seventh, Garrett Preseason Honorable Mention

UNCW was picked to finish seventh overall during the upcoming 2012-13 season and senior forward Karneshia Garrett was a Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA selection.

• The Seahawks and George Mason were selected to finish seventh in a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, ahead of Towson, William & Mary and Georgia State.
• Delaware was picked to repeat as regular-season champion while James Madison was tabbed to finish second. Hofstra was picked third, followed by Drexel, Old Dominion, Northeastern, UNCW and George Mason (tie), Towson and William & Mary (tie) and Georgia State.
• Garrett earned Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA accolades after appearing in 32 games and making 21 starts during her first season with the program in 2011-12. She averaged 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds while pacing the team with six double-doubles.

Seahawks Announce Signing Class

UNCW head women's basketball coach Adell Harris announced the signing of D'Asia Cain (Smynra, Ga./Campbell), Ryan Flowers (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) and Johanna McMillan (Mullica Hill, N.J./Sanford) to National Letters-of-Intent during the early signing period.

• D'Asia Cain averaged 7.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game during her junior season in helping lead Campbell to a regional championship and State Final Four appearance. She was Named MVP of the Campbell Holiday Classic last season.
• Ryan Flowers Led Millbrook to the 2011-12 Class 4A state championship, earning Most Outstanding Player accolades during the championship game. She averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game during junior season and is a Two-time All-Capital 8 selection. Flowers led the Wildcats to Class 4A state runner-up finish as a sophomore and was a 2011 Regional All-Tournament Team selection.
• Johanna McMillan is ranked as a top 100 prospect for her position by ESPN.com. She was an Honorable Mention All-State selection following a junior season that saw her average 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. a Two-time All-Conference selection (First-team 2011-12 and Second-Team 2010-11) she has led Sanford to back-to-back DIAA State Championships (2010 & 11) and a runner-up finish in the 2012 championship. She has also helped the Warriors capture three straight D.I.S.C. titles.

Up Next

UNCW returns to the road Sunday as it travels to Old Dominion for a 3 p.m. contest. The game will be televised as part of the league's television package and can be seen in the Wilmington area on Time Warner Cable channel 121.