WILMINGTON, North Carolina - The UNCW women’s basketball team opens a two-game road swing Thursday as it faces Delware in a 7 p.m. Colonial Athletic Association contest at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Seahawk Storylines

• The Seahawks (2-13; 1-3 CAA) return to the court for the first time since suffering a 74-50 setback to visiting Old Dominion on Jan. 17.
• Senior Karneshia Garrett and junior Jessica Freeman tallied 11 points apiece and junior Tawanna Lee added 10 to pace a UNCW lineup that was just 18-of-54 from the floor against the Lady Monarchs.
• UNCW has struggled to rebound the basketball this season as it ranks 10th in the CAA in rebounding margin (-5.3). The Seahawks have been out-rebounded by their opponent in all but three of its 15 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 38.9 percent (359-of-924) of their tries from the field this season, representing the sixth-best field goal percentage defense in program history. Of UNCW's 15 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 278th nationally in field goal percentage, making just 35.7 percent (291-of-815) of its attempts from the floor this season. The Seahawks have shot better than 40 percent from the floor in just four of 15 games this season, including two of their last three contests (William & Mary and Drexel).
• Senior forward Karneshia Garrett has been a force to be reckoned with on the glass this season as she enters Sunday's contest 25th in the nation in rebounds per game (10.8). She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in seven of 14 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 has led the team in rebounds on 10 occasions this season.
• Junior guard Jessica Freeman leads the team in scoring (10.7) and steals (2.3) and ranks second in assists (2.4). Freeman has served as an iron-woman of sorts for the Seahawks, having played all 40 minutes in six games this season, including five of the last six contests. She ranks second in the league in minutes played per game (36.0).
• The UNCW women's basketball program is in its 40th season of competition and has compiled an all-time record of 459-574 (.444) 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.

Old Dominion Recap

UNCW slipped to 2-13 overall and 1-3 in league play with a 74-50 setback to Old Dominion last Thursday at Trask Coliseum.

• Trailing 15-14 midway through the first half, a three-pointer by sophomore Tiffany Minor at the 11:47 mark ignited a 26-9 ODU run that gave the Lady Monarchs a 40-24 lead with just over a minute remaining in the first half. ODU would never trail in the second half, turning away an early UNCW spurt before maintaining a double-digit lead that would grow to as many as 26 in the final minutes.
• The Lady Monarchs benefitted from a balanced lineup that saw all 11 players that entered the game find the scorebook as they shot 45.9 percent (28-of-61) from the floor and 84.6 percent (11-of-13) from the free-throw line.
• Senior Karneshia Garrett and junior Jessica Freeman tallied 11 points apiece and senior Tawanna Lee chipped in 10 for UNCW, who shot just 33.3 percent (18-of-54) for the game, including a 7-of-27 (.259) effort from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
• Old Dominion out-rebounded UNCW, 44-32. The Lady Monarchs entered the game ranked 11th in the CAA in rebounding margin (-6.7).
• The Lady Monarchs finished with 16 second-chance points off of 12 offensive rebounds. The Seahawks tallied just three second-chance points on nine offensive boards.
• The Lady Monarchs got 38 points from its bench players, highlighted by a 27-point effort from their reserves in the first half. The Seahawks received just nine bench points during the contest, six of which came from sophomore Kelva Atkins.
• The Seahawks committed just 15 turnovers, more than eight below the season average for the Lady Monarchs opposition this season (23.3). ODU finished with 14 miscues, ending the game more than three below their season average (17.3).
• UNCW failed to record a blocked shot for just the third time this season (Elon and Northern Kentucky).
• UNCW recorded double-figure assists for the eighth time this season as it dished out 11 helpers. Freeman led the way with four helpers.

Scouting Delaware

• Winners of eight straight contests, Delaware (13-3, 4-0 CAA) enters Thursday's matchup as one of only two undefeated teams in league play following a 76-44 victory over Towson at the Bob Carpenter Center on Sunday.
• The Blue Hens have made short work of the opposition in league play this season, posting a 27.2 point margin of victory thus far against conference competition. Delaware's closest decision in CAA action came in a 63-46 road triumph over Old Dominion on Jan. 13.
• Senior Elena Delle Donne, a two-time CAA Player-of-the-Year honoree, paces the Blue Hens lineup with team highs of 24.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. She was recently named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 list.
• Senior Lauren Carra is second on the team in scoring (11.6) while fellow senior Danielle Parker is third on the team in scoring (8.9) and second on the squad in rebounding (8.9).
• Senior Kayla Miller paces the squad in assists, averaging 3.0 assists per contest to rank eighth in the league in that category.
• Tina Martin is in her 17th season as head coach of the Blue Hens program. Martin has led Delaware to nine postseason appearances (three NCAA, six WNIT) and a 322-180 record in that span.

Series Notes Versus Delaware

• Thursday's contest marks the 24th meeting between Delaware and UNCW. The Blue Hens hold a 16-7 advantage in the all-time series, having won each of the last four meetings between the two programs. Delaware won all three contests between the two schools last season, sweeping the regular season series with a 69-37 victory at home in January and a 62-53 triumph at Trask Coliseum in February before posting a 66-39 victory in the semifinals of the 2012 CAA Women's Basketball Championship in March.
• UNCW holds a 3-7 mark in 10 previous visits to the Bob Carpenter Center. The Seahawks have dropped two straight road contests to the Blue Hens, including a 69-37 setback in their most recent visit on Jan. 12, 2012.
• UNCW Assistant Coach Kim Tingley is no stranger to the Delaware program, having spent the final two seasons of her collegiate career as part of the Blue Hens program after being her career at West Virginia. Tingley helped Delaware capture the 2001 America East Conference championship and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In the Blue Hens first season in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2002, Delaware advanced to the Postseason WNIT.

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 68-18 (.791) since the start of the 2007-08 season when leading at halftime.

• UNCW is 1-1 this season when holding a halftime advantage. The Seahawks one loss 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.
• On the flip side, the Seahawks are just 21-63 (.250) 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 12-70 (.146) 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 85 three-pointers made while Lee is 13th with 71 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 five 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 (.345) and Freeman 10th (.333) 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 (383).

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

The Seahawks wrap up their brief road trip Sunday with a Noon contest at Towson.