WILMINGTON, North Carolina - The UNCW women's basketball team wraps up a brief two-game homestand Sunday with a 1 p.m. matinee against Georgia State.

Seahawk Storylines

• The Seahawks (2-20; 1-10 CAA) enter Sunday's contest looking to halt a losing skid that reached nine games after suffering a 62-52 setback to visiting George Mason Thursday.
• Senior Karneshia Garrett grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds and added 15 points for the Seahawks, but UNCW was unable to overcome a 32.8 percent (21-of-64) shooting performance as the Patriots picked up just their third victory in 21 tries versus UNCW.
• UNCW has struggled to rebound the basketball this season as it ranks 11th in the CAA and 312th in the NCAA in rebounding margin (-6.5). The Seahawks have been out-rebounded by their opponent in all but five of its 22 games this season, but did post a 46-37 advantage on the glass in their matchup with George Mason on Thursday.
• 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 (528-of-1361) of their tries from the field this season, representing the sixth-best field goal percentage defense in program history. Of UNCW's 21 opponents this season, only nine 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 267th nationally in field goal percentage, making just 36.4 percent (433-of-1190) of its attempts from the floor this season. The Seahawks have shot better than 40 percent from the floor in just six of 22 games this season, but four of those performances have come in the last 10 contests. (William & Mary, Drexel, Towson and Hofstra).
• Senior forward Karneshia Garrett has been a force to be reckoned with on the glass this season as she enters Sunday's contest ranked 20th in the nation in rebounds per game (10.8). She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 12 of 21 games played this season, highlighted by a 19-rebound effort against George Mason on Thursday. She has pulled down double-digit boards in five of the last six games, recording a double-double in each of those contests.
• Garrett has also picked up her point production in recent games, averaging 13.2 points in the Seahawks' last nine contests. Garrett is shooting 49.5 percent (48-of-97) from the field during that stretch as she has reached double figures in all but one of those nine contests, highlighted by a 17-point effort against William & Mary on Jan 31.
• Junior guard Jessica Freeman leads the team in scoring (10.2) and steals (2.7) 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 nine games this season, including eight of the last 13 contests. She ranks second in the league in minutes played per game (36.4).

George Mason Recap

UNCW slipped to 2-20 overall and 1-10 in CAA play with a 62-52 setback to visiting George Mason on Valentine's Day.

• George Mason used an 11-2 run midway through the second half to break open a tight contest and pick up just its third victory in the last 21 matchups between the two programs.
• Senior Joyous Tharrington poured in a career-high 18 points and added nine rebounds to lead George Mason. Tharrington was one of three Patriots players to reach double figures as junior Janaa Pickard pitched 14 and senior Amber Easter pitched in 12.
• Senior Karneshia Garrett scored 15 points and added a career-high 19 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season to lead UNCW. Junior Jessica Freeman joined Garrett in double figures with 14 points and added eight rebounds while sophomore Kelva Atkins pitched in nine points and six boards.
• UNCW held a 46-37 advantage on the glass as it out-rebounded its opponent for just the fifth time this season. The Seahawks finished with a season-high 24 offensive rebounds, surpassing the previous season-high of 16 set on two previous occasions (Wake Forest and North Carolina A&T).
• The two teams combined for just 23 turnovers in the contest (UNCW 15, George Mason 8). The Patriots became the second straight opponent and just the seventh team this season to record fewer than double-digit turnovers against the Seahawks. George Mason posted an 18-9 edge in points off turnovers, highlighted by a 14-7 advantage in the second half.
• UNCW moved to 1-6 this season and 68-23 since the start of the 2007-08 season when holding a halftime lead. Four of the Seahawks six losses under such circumstances this season have come in games in which they have held only a one-possession lead.
• UNCW shot below 40 percent from the floor for the 16th time this season as it was just 21-of-64 (.328) from the field against the Patriots.
• George Mason shot 40.7 percent (24-of-59) from the field against the Seahawks, becoming the just the ninth opponent this season to shoot better than 40 percent from the floor against UNCW.
• The Seahawks moved to 1-14 this season when an opponent takes a lead of 10 points or more against them in a contest.
• George Mason was 0-for-6 from three-point range, becoming the first UNCW opponent in 27 games to not make a 3-point field goal against the Seahawks (March 8, 2012 versus Georgia State).

Scouting Georgia State

• Georgia State (12-11; 4-8 CAA) enters Sunday's contest looking to pick up its third win in four contests after posting a 66-44 rout of Towson Thursday at the GSU Sports Arena.
• The Panthers have thrived on the defensive end this season, ranking among the nation's leaders in 3-point field goal defense (26.0/21st), field goal percentage defense (36.0/50th), blocked shots (3.9/102nd) and steals (9.3/137th).
• The Panthers are led offensively by senior Kendra Long, who averages 10.6 points per game. Long scored 20 points in GSU's victory over the Tigers, knocking down a career-high six shots from beyond the arc.
• Senior Cody Paulk highlights the GSU effort on the glass, averaging a team-best 8.5 rebounds per contest. Paulk also leads the team's rejection efforts, recording a league-best 59 blocked shots.
• Sophomore Ashley Watson has dished out a team-best 62 assists this season and is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 7.8 points per game.
• The Panthers are coached by Sharon Baldwin-Tener. The former East Carolina head coach is in her third season in Atlanta and has compiled a 33-52 record in her time with the program.

Series Notes Versus Georgia State

• Sunday's contest marks the 18th meeting between Georgia State and UNCW. All but one of the previous 17 meetings have taken place since the Panthers joined the CAA prior to the start of the 2005-06 season.
• UNCW holds a slim 9-7 advantage in the all-time series as it has won four straight, including all three of the team's meetings in 2011-12.
• UNCW is 4-3 in seven previous contests against Georgia State in Trask Coliseum.
• The Seahawks have won four of their last five at home against the Panthers, including a 64-54 triumph last February.
• UNCW's only home loss of that span came in a 54-50 setback on March 3, 2010.

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 68-23 (.747) since the start of the 2007-08 season when leading at halftime.

• UNCW is just 1-6 this season when holding a halftime advantage. Five of the Seahawks last six losses have come under such circumstances.
• Four of the Seahawks six losses when leading at the half this season have come in games where their halftime advantage was three points or less (25-24 vs. Charlotte; 30-27 at Towson; 33-32 vs. William & Mary; 27-26 vs. George Mason) while a fifth such contest featured a four-point intermission advantage (32-28 vs. Hofstra).
• On the flip side, the Seahawks are just 21-64 (.247) since 2007-08 and just 1-13 this season when trailing at intermission. UNCW picked up its first win under such circumstances in 2012-13 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 69-8 (.896) since the start of the 2007-08 season when it holds a lead of 10 points or more during a contest.

• The Seahawks are 2-3 this season under such circumstances. Each of the Seahawks last three losses have come after UNCW has held a double-digit lead in both games (11 vs. William & Mary; 12 at Old Dominion and 11 vs. Hofstra).
• 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 7th place on the all-time list with 96 three-pointers made while Lee is in 9th place with 86 treys made.
• Freeman the program's top ten list for career three-point field goals made with her three made trifectas in UNCW's game at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 20. Freeman enters tonight's game one 3-pointer away from matching Tressa Reese for sixth place on the all-time list (97).
• Lee, meanwhile, moved into the top 10 by knocking down four 3-point attempts against Hofstra on Feb. 5. She begins tonight's contest four 3-pointers away from trying Jeri Lyn Coker for eighth place (90).
• Both players have been consistent from beyond the arc during their careers, with Lee sixth (.344) 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 in 2011-12 (.414), while Lee ranks ninth on the circuit this season in that category (.356).

Hail To the Thief

Junior guard Jessica Freeman recently moved into the top 10 of the program's career steals chart.

• Currently in seventh place on the program's all-time steals chart, Freeman entered the top 10 on Jan. 31, recording five steals against William & Mary to surpass Johnnie Smith to gain entry on the the school's all-time thefts chart.
• Freeman enters today's contest with 182 career steals and needs just one theft to match Sonya Pickard for sixth place on the program's all-time list (183).
• Thievery is nothing new for the Charlotte, N.C. native as Freeman ranked sixth in the league in steals in 2011-12 (2.2). She currently ranks third among all league players in that category (2.7).
• Freeman has turned some memorable steals performances during her career. She matched a CAA tournament record with eight steals in the Seahawks victory over the Pride in the 2012 tournament quarterfinals and recently established a new career high with nine steals in the Seahawks contest against Hofstra on Feb. 5

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.

 Up Next

UNCW is back in action Tuesday as it travels to Philadelphia for a 7 p.m. contest against Drexel.