The school spirit lasted throughout the game.
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But Duke’s early struggles against UNC-Wilmington on Thursday before pulling away down the stretch might not bode well for the Blue Devils’ long-term prospects.
In the first half against UNC Wilmington, Marshall was nearly non-existent.
“The matchup is pretty good”. “Hopefully, it’s a good game to broadcast”.
Freshman sensation, and top-prospect Brandon Ingram had himself a great game, adding 20 points on 7-of-12 from the field to go with nine boards and three dimes. That’s when he realized his passion for the broadcast industry. “We’ve had a tremendous year”.
After graduating with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, he’s made a few stops before settling in at UNCW. The Seahawks season also ended in the first round that year when they lost to George Washington 88-85 in overtime.
Duke fans can breathe a sigh of relief: There is no even-years curse for the Blue Devils in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Vaccaro has seen his share of ups and downs when it comes to UNCW basketball. Baylor begins their run to the Final Four with their first round match-up against Yale on Thursday at 2:45pm EST on CBS.
The Seahawks appear to have made a similarly wise coaching hire in Kevin Keatts. Butler shot 52 percent after halftime, using some NCAA Tournament experience to rally from an early eight-point deficit and finally push ahead midway through the second half.
“I’m so proud of them”, UNCW sophomore McKenna Nelson said. The Seahawks have been in tournament mode for more than a week after having to scrape through three close games in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. Keatts’ fullcourt pressure held the Blue Devils to just a 3-for-10 performance from downtown in the first half.
Though the score wasn’t what the crowded cheered for, attendees were still proud of their Seahawks on how their played against the defending champs. “Making it is great and this will bring a lot of exposure to the program”.
When Duke has had trouble, it’s because the players weren’t communicating well in live-ball defensive situations where defensive switches are needed. The Blue Devils are still mediocre defensively, with four Seahawks scoring at least 16 points. Wilmington would try to climb back at various points, but their lack of clutch shooting and inability to stop Duke consistently kept them just out of reach in the second half. “They’re kind of like the New York Yankees”.
There was no upset in Denver, where No. 4 Iowa State clubbed No. 13 Iona 94-81 to move on. Overall, No. 13 seeds are 25-99 against the No. 4 seed and a 13th seeded team knocked off a No. 4 every year from 2008-2013. “I’m trying to make my own name and I just try to do what I do well”.
“We were standing still”, Jones said. Full disclosure moment: One of my worst fears in life is losing the first game on the first day of the NCAA tournament to ruin my ideal bracket.
There was a scary collision near mid-court between UNCW Chris Flemmings and Duke’s Derryck Thornton. He’s also the Assistant Director of Sports Marketing which he calls “more of my full-time job”. Students got free pizza for the game.
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At Campbell University he was the play-by-play announcer for men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball.
