Hoops (M): CAA semifinal postgame wrap

BALTIMORE — The UNCW men’s basketball team is getting used to white-knuckle finishes at the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. The Seahawks survived another one Sunday, holding off Northeastern for a 73-70 victory in a semifinal at Royal Farms Arena. (Here’s the game story.)

A 10-point lead with a minute-and-change left dwindled to one in the final seconds, but UNCW did what it needed to close out the victory. Northeastern never even got a look at the tying shot. The Seahawks earned a spot opposite top-seeded Hofstra in Monday’s tournament final. They’re just a win away from their first NCAA bid since 2006.

The Good: Chris Flemmings looked the part of All-CAA guard on the conference’s biggest stage. It was a quintessential performance from the junior from Cary. He was an efficient 6-of-9 from the floor (4-for-5 from 3) and 5-of-6 from the foul line with no turnovers against Northeastern. He’s great at picking his spots and has a flair for the big shot. His two 3-pointers in the 16-2 second-half run that put UNCW in front for good were more evidence of that. The Seahawks have shown they can win without Flemmings at his best, but they’re obviously better off with him playing like he did Sunday. The only question now: Can he do it again on Monday?

The Bad: Kevin Keatts didn’t seem too concerned afterward, but UNCW missed a chance to avoid that harrowing finish. Northeastern deserves credit for fighting and clawing until the final whistle. The Seahawks made their mistakes, though. That included two turnovers and three missed free throws. Keatts said it best before the tournament: You don’t have to play great, just better than the team in front of you. So far, UNCW has done that. The Seahawks have overcome a lackluster first half against College of Charleston and Sunday’s ending. They will probably need a more complete performance to beat Hofstra and claim the title. (Although it’s worth pointing out that wasn’t the case in either of the two regular season meetings between these teams. A great second half was enough both times.)

The Quote: The front court delivered again, this time boosted by eight points and seven rebounds from Devontae Cacok in 11 minutes. It’s the kind of production Keatts has been waiting on for months: “I’ve been on these big guys for the entire year to give us something. I think their effort’s been great. I think they’ve played extremely hard for the whole season, but I think now they’re contributing because they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Tweet(s): Here’s the call from UNCW athletic director Jimmy Bass to take a half day off from work Monday and get up here.

If you are a Seahawk fan…you should be in Baltimore Monday night for the CAA Championship!

— Jimmy Bass (@SeahawkAD) March 7, 2016

I can’t say I’ve felt said buzz here yet, but I’m sure it will show up by tip time on Monday night. This should be fun.

UNC-Wilmington holds off Northeastern to advance to Monday's CAA title game against Hofstra. Palpable buzz in Baltimore.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 6, 2016

It’s no doubt best for the conference to have these two teams playing for the title.

So after all the talk of a wild and wacky CAA, it'll be No. 1 Hofstra vs. No. 2 UNC-Wilmington tomorrow for the title.

— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) March 6, 2016

The Skinny: UNCW proved its status as a CAA contender over an 18-game regular season, but those memories provided few guarantees this weekend. The Seahawks knew their postseason fate would be decided here, regardless of all they’d accomplished already. They have had to fight for everything and earned two narrow victories the hard way. Now they’ll try to do it one more time and earn their first NCAA trip in a decade. Just getting to this point is an accomplishment for Keatts and this players. It’s familiar territory for long-time fans and uncharted territory for everybody inside the program. I tend to agree with the coach that there’s not much to take out of the first two games against Hofstra. It’s hard to imagine lightning striking a third time with another 2o-point comeback. UNCW — with its depth — would seem to have an advantage playing its third game in as many days, but it’s hard to say. The Seahawks have already gotten their share of March Madness excitement. Expect much more on Monday.