WILMINGTON, N.C. – Two men’s basketball teams that have been on the road early and often in 2007-08 collide Sunday when UNC Wilmington and North Carolina Central meet for the first time in 27 years at Trask Coliseum.

            The Seahawks are 6-3 overall, but have played six of their nine games away from their home floor. Sunday’s 5 p.m. tip-off wraps up a brief two-game homestand before Benny Moss and his troops begin another string of three road outings in a four-game stretch.

            The Eagles, meanwhile, know all about the nomadic life. Coach Henry Dickerson’s club has played all but one contest away from Durham, dropping six straight heading into Sunday’s late-afternoon matchup.

            “They’re not going to come in here and be intimidated by any stretch of the imagination,” said Moss, noting that NCCU has played the likes of Duke, Rutgers, Florida, Wake Forest and Davidson on the road during the first two months of the season.

            “They have already played in some tough venues and they’re not eligible for post-season play. These games are their post-season.”

            The Eagles are in their first transitional year toward NCAA Division I status and it’s certainly been a difficult one. NCCU brings a 1-11 ledger into the non-conference game, winning their only date at home back on Nov. 21 against Tennessee Tech, 73-70.

            Moss said, “They have played an unbelievable schedule. They’re going through their first year as a Division I participant and they’ve played a ‘who’s who’ of the nation’s best teams. On top of that, they’ve played them on their own courts.”

            The slate has taken its toll on the Eagles. In its 11 road games, NCCU has lost by an average of 37.6 points, including blowouts of 65 points at Duke, 25 points at Rutgers, 54 points at Florida, 48 points at Davidson and, most recently on Dec. 8, a 47-point thumping at Akron.

            Senior forward Charles Futrell leads NCCU in scoring with 19.1 points per game and junior guard Ashton Sauls is contributing 9.6 points and 2.3 assists. As a team, the Eagles are averaging just 53.6 points, while allowing 87.8 ppg to opponents.

            “Charles Futrell is putting up some very good numbers against outstanding competition,” Moss said. “Ashton Sauls also plays with great freedom and confidence. He’s taken a lot of shots and has played well against good competition.”

            The Seahawks got back on the winning track last Sunday with an 80-68 trimming of southern rival Coastal Carolina at Trask Coliseum. The win kept UNCW perfect at home in 2007-08 and pushed the Seahawks’ record to 10-1 against the Chanticleers.

            UNCW and NCCU have met twice on the hardwood, both during the 1980-81 campaign. The Eagles won in Durham, 82-73, on Jan. 14, 1981, and the Seahawks returned the favor, 96-60, in a triple overtime thriller at Trask Coliseum on Feb. 18, 1981.

            Senior guard T.J. Carter returned to the Seahawk roster this season after sitting out one year ago and has been as advertised. The Mechanicsville, Md., leads the team in scoring with 18.2 ppg and ranks second in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring, fourth in assists and seventh in free throw percentage.

            Carter, who needs just 32 points to become UNCW’s 17^th 1,000-point career scorer, is one of four seniors averaging double figures in a balanced offense. Center Vladimir Kuljanin (15.3 ppg), forward Todd Hendley (14.1 ppg) and guard Daniel Fountain (12.7 ppg) combine with Carter to provide the bulk of UNCW’s 77.6 ppg scoring clip.

            The Seahawks have been in final exams this week and the erratic practice schedule has not left a lot of time for Moss to prepare for the Eagles.

            “Our practice schedule has been a little out of whack. We’ve had some early practices and some late ones, so our clocks are off. This week has given us an opportunity to work on some things to get better. We’re anxious to get back on the court and play again.”

            Following Sunday’s appearance, the Seahawks make the 75-mile trip south to Conway, S.C., for a rematch with Coastal Carolina on Wednesday at cozy Kimbel Gymnasium. It will mark second time in 10 days that the two teams have gone head-to-head on the hardwood.     - Courtesy UNCW Sports Information