NORFOLK, Va. – UNC Wilmington will try to solve the head-scratching riddle that is Old Dominion Wednesday night when the Seahawks travel to Norfolk, Va., to battle the Monarchs in a key Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

UNCW hopes to continue a recent string of consistent performances that was punctuated Saturday with a 61-58 triumph over pre-season favorite George Mason at newly-energized Trask Coliseum.

“We’re a confident group right now,” said second-year head coach Benny Moss. “We just have to continue to build on the things that have helped us win four games in a row. We can’t lose focus on the little things like the hustle plays and executing on both ends of the floor.”

The Seahawks may be riding high, but they’ll face a nemesis in the Monarchs, who have swept eight straight in the series. ODU started the recent string with a 67-57 verdict on Jan. 8, 2003, in Wilmington and cruised to an 86-70 triumph in last year’s installment in the Port City.

Moss said, “It’s just been one of those things…you can’t put a finger on it. They’ve had some good offensive teams and some pretty good defensive teams. They’ve been different from year to year. It’s hard to pinpoint any one reason why they’ve been successful against our program for such a long period of time.”

UNCW is still looking for its first win in five tries at the Ted Constant Center. ODU has posted 71-68, 55-51, 70-56 and 64-59 wins at the arena after taking three straight from the Monarchs at the old ODU Field House.

“I’ve had the privilege of coaching in the Constant Center while at Charlotte,” Moss said. “It’s an unbelievable facility, and they have great crowds. We just have to take our energy and emotion and focus them in the right direction. We have to make sure that we maintain our composure down the stretch when the game is on the line.”

The latest surge by the Seahawks has been fueled by a balanced attack. UNCW placed five players in double figures for the second time in the win over GMU, with the improved play of senior center Vladimir Kuljanin and freshman point guard Chad Tomko igniting the streak.

Kuljanin posted his eighth double-double of the season and the 16th of his career with 12 points and 17 rebounds against the Patriots. The Toronto center ranks third on the team in scoring with 13.3 ppg and leads the club with 9.8 rebounds. He’s atop the CAA with a .651 field goal percentage.

Tomko, meanwhile, was named the CAA’s Rookie-of-the-Week for the second time Monday after spearheading UNCW’s two wins over Northeastern and George Mason last week. The point guard had 16 points and committed just one turnover in the victory over the Patriots.

“Vlad is playing like a man possessed right now. He’s shooting at a high percentage and is concentrating on the defending and rebounding aspects of his game. It’s amazing how easy the rest of your game comes when you’re doing well in other phases.

“Chad was scoring early and has been running the team lately. He’s put all the pieces together. We’ve been a very balanced team all year along.”

The Seahawks and Monarchs are meeting for the 39th time since the series began with a 75-55 victory by ODU at The Scope on Dec. 8, 1979. In the last contest at the Constant Center, sophomore guard Brian Henderson paced ODU with 17 points and senior guard Isaiah Hunter had 16 as the Monarchs unleashed a long distance barrage in a 64-59 victory on Jan. 3, 2006.

ODU’s Blaine Taylor is in his seventh season with the Monarchs and has amassed an 8-2 record against UNCW, the best mark for an active CAA coach against the Seahawks.

Moss is seeking his fourth road victory in the CAA since taking over the program last season. His three wins have come at William & Mary, Hofstra and Georgia State.

“One of the common denominators in those wins was how we maintained our composure in late-game situations. We didn’t get rattled, we didn’t press and we didn’t rush. We had good focus and finished the job at hand. We put ourselves in a position to win and executed offensively and defensively down the stretch.”

UNCW is beginning a rugged stretch of three consecutive road games. Following Wednesday’s clash in Norfolk, the Seahawks return to the Tidewater area to play much-improved William & Mary at William & Mary Hall Saturday and then wrap up the trifecta at Delaware next Wednesday. -Courtesy UNCW Sports Information