WILMINGTON, North Carolina - The UNCW women's basketball team returns to Trask Coliseum for its fourth home game in five outings as it squares off against league foe Drexel Sunday in a 1 p.m. CAA matinee.

Seahawk Storylines

• The Seahawks are back home after posting a 62-51 victory at William & Mary on Tuesday. Senior Tawanna Lee scored 16 points, all in the second half, and sophomore Kelva Atkins added 15 to lead UNCW back from a 14-point deficit and defeat the Tribe for their first road victory in eight tries this season.
• Junior Jessica Freeman joined the duo in double figures as the Seahawks shot a season-high 48.9 percent from the floor, highlighted by a 9-of-16 effort from three-point range. UNCW also benefitted from a 33-25 advantage on the glass as it was able to overcome a season-high 27 turnovers.
• UNCW has struggled to rebound the basketball this season as it ranks 10th in the CAA in rebounding margin (-5.1). The Seahawks have been out-rebounded by their opponent in all but three of its 13 games this season, but did post a positive rebounding margin (33-to-25) in its victory at William & mary on Tuesday.
• The Seahawks have made it hard for the opposition to make shots from the field this
• season as opponents are making just 38.1 percent (307-of-815) of their tries from the field this season, representing the sixth-best field goal percentage defense in program history. Of UNCW's 13 opponents this season, only four (Liberty, NKU, North Carolina A&T and William & Mary) have shot better than 40 percent from the field against the Seahawks.
• Senior forward Karneshia Garrett has been a force to be reckoned with on the glass during the early part of the season as she enters Sunday's contest 15th in the nation in rebounds per game (11.3). Garrett has grabbed double-digit rebounds in seven of 11 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 in nine of 12 games played this season.
• Sophomore transfer Kelva Atkins leads the Seahawks in scoring (10.8) and assists (2.7). Atkins, who ranks 10th in the CAA in field goal percentage (.455), has scored in double figures in six of the last 10 games, including a season-high 20 points in UNCW's matchup with Charlotte on Dec. 5.
• Junior guard Jessica Freeman leads the team in steals (2.3) and ranks second in scoring (10.8) and assists (2.6). Freeman has served as an iron-woman of sorts for the Seahawks this season, having played all 40 minutes in five games, including each of the last four contests, to rank second in the league in minutes played per game (35.6).
• The UNCW women's basketball program is in its 40th season of competition and has compiled an all-time record of 459-572 (.445) 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.

William & Mary Recap

UNCW recorded its first road victory of the season with a 61-52 victory at William & Mary on Tuesday. 

• UNCW closed the game on an 11-0 run to complete a comeback that saw the Seahawks trail by as many as 14 in the second half.
• UNCW opened the game on a 12-0 run, only to see the Tribe take a 23-22 lead at the break. William & Mary expanded its cushion to 40-26 with 14:00 remaining in the second half, setting up the Seahawks comeback.
• UNCW picked up its eighth straight victory against William & Mary as it trimmed its deficit in the all-time series to 28-30. The Seahawks also picked up their fourth straight victory at Kaplan Arena as they moved to 10-21 all-time on the road against the Tribe.
• The Seahawks shot above 40 percent from the floor for the third time this season and the first time in eight games as they connected on a season-high 48.9 percent (23-of-47) field goal attempts.
• The Seahawks were 9-of-16 (.563) from beyond the arc as they knocked down a season-high nine three-pointers in the contest.
• UNCW picked up its first victory this season when trailing by double figures in a contest as it moved to 1-8 this season in that category.
• The Seahawks picked up their first victory this season when trailing at halftime in a contest. UNCW was 0-10 this season when trailing at intermission this season prior to tonight's contest.
• UNCW committed a season-high 27 turnovers against the Tribe, breaking the previous season high of 23, set in the season opener at West Virginia.
• The Seahawks out-rebounded an opponent just the third time this season and the second time in three games.
• Senior Tawanna Lee scored a game-high 16 points, all in the second half, to lead three UNCW players in double figures. Lee was 5-of-8 from beyond the arc for the game.
• Sophomore Kelva Atkins notched 13 of her 15 points in the final 20 minutes and also added a season-high six assists, six rebounds and four steals.
• Redshirt junior Jessica Freeman joined Atkins and Lee in double figures with 12 points. Freeman also recorded a season-high six steals as the Seahawks finished with a season-best 14 thefts.

Scouting Drexel

• Drexel (9-4; 2-0) looks to remain undefeated in league play after posting a 48-46 victory at James Madison on Thursday, a game that saw the Dragons trail the entire contest until taking the lead with four seconds remaining to knock off the Dukes.
• Senior Hollie Mershon, a Preseason First-Team All-CAA selection, leads the CAA in scoring (17.8/1st) to highlight a Drexel attack that ranks 29th in the nation in field goal percentage (.439), 15th in 3-point field goal percentage (.369) and 26th free throw percentage (.748).
• Mershon also ranks among the top 10 players in the league in both rebounding (7.5/9th) and assists (4.0/3rd) while also pacing the team in steals (1.6).
• Senior Taylor Wotton is second on the team in scoring (8.8) while fellow senior Niki Jones is closely behind in third (8.0). Jones and Wotton also rank second and third on the team rebounding chart, averaging 5.2 and 4.0 caroms per game, respectively.
• The Dragons have made it hard for the opposition to put points on the scoreboard as they rank 14th in the country in scoring defense (50.5). Drexel has held its opponents to just 35.8 percent shooting from the field this season, ranking 2nd in the CAA and 65th in the country in that category.
• Denise Dillon is in her 10th season as head coach of the Drexel program. Dillon has guided the Dragons to four straight postseason appearances (2009 NCAA; 2010, 2011 & 2012 WNIT) and a 160-129 record in that span.

Series Notes Versus Drexel

• Sunday's contest marks the 19th meeting between the two programs, all of which have occurred since Drexel joined the CAA prior to the start of the 2001-02 season.
• The Dragons hold a 10-8 edge in the series, but UNCW has won three of the last four matchups.
• Drexel posted a 58-43 victory over UNCW in the only meeting last season last December at Trask Coliseum.
• Sunday's game marks the 10th matchup between the two programs in Wilmington, with UNCW holding a 5-4 edge on its home floor versus the Dragons.
• Drexel has enjoyed success in the 5,550-seat facility in recent years as all four of its victories in Trask have come in its last six appearances.

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 21-61 (.256) 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 12-68 (.150) 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 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 a tie for 9th place on the all-time list with 83 three-pointers made while Lee is 13th with 68 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 tied with former teammate Treasure Johnson for ninth place (83).
• Both players have been consistent from beyond the arc during their careers, with Lee sixth (.347) and Freeman eighth (.339) on the squad's chart for career three-point field goal percentage (.341). Freeman led the league in three-point field goal percentage last season (.414), while Lee ranks fifth in the league 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.

Up Next

The Seahawks will remain in the Port City as they welcome Old Dominion to Trask Coliseum Thursday for a 7 p.m. league tilt.