By Ed Morrone
RICHMOND, Va.-Flash back to January 14, when the Pride entertained UNC-Wilmington at Hofstra Arena.
The Pride prevailed over the Seahawks, 92-87, in its only win over Wilmington this season, but it took 30 points from Loren Stokes to seal the deal. After the game, an aura hung in the arena that indicated that while the Pride was happy with the victory, the team it beat was one of special caliber. The feisty Seahawks wouldn’t go down without a fight that day, and they got revenge on Feb. 15, defeating the Pride 77-68 in Wilmington.
In Monday night’s CAA Championship game, the Seahawks proved to be too much to handle once again, smothering the Pride from the get-go in a conference-winning, 78-67 victory.
So what makes Wilmington so good?
After all, its leading scorer, T.J. Carter, averaged just 13.3 points on the season-a decent number for sure, but not one of a dominant player.
The Seahawks shoot just 42.7 percent as a team and cracked 80 points only twice this season, yet they were the ones who celebrated on the floor of the Richmond Coliseum on Monday.
For starters, balance is a big key. Carter paced the team with 23 points against the Pride, but three other players (Mitch Laue, Todd Hendley and Beckham Wyrick) all scored more than 10 points, while senior point guard John Goldsberry notched nine points and 10 assists.
The Seahawks also play defense and take care of the ball. Opponents shot under 39 percent against them this season and they turned the ball over just five times on Monday (25 total turnovers in three games in the tournament).
Wilmington also has veteran leadership. Goldsberry, Laue and Wyrick are seniors, while junior Carter and senior reserve Taylor Lay bring swagger to the team as well.
Finally, it has a fantastic coach in CAA Coach of the Year Brad Brownell, who has coaxed an average of 20.8 wins from his team in his four seasons as head coach.
Add all of that together, and what you come up with is an unselfish team that could cause problems for whatever opponent it draws in its first round NCAA Tournament game.
“We’re difficult to play against,” Brownell told ESPN.com’s Pat Forde. “We don’t give up points easily or give the basketball away.”
The balance was a dagger into the Pride’s hearts, as it could not keep all of Wilmington’s players quiet at the same time. Wyrick scored 10 points in the first eight minutes (“He played like Larry Bird the first 10-15 minutes,” Brownell said.) and Carter was just as valuable as his tournament MVP billing, scoring 12 points in the final three minutes to put the game away.
“At the end of the game, Carter took over,” a disappointed yet admiring Pride head coach Tom Pecora said. “Wilmington did a wonderful job.”
While the Pride and George Mason remain uncomfortably anxious heading into Selection Sunday, the Seahawks can kick back and enjoy the show, knowing their name will be called without a doubt.