BOSTON – Normally, one wouldn’t expect the head coach of a team that just got blown out to be in very good spirits. When that blowout loss was the third straight loss by double digits and it was only two weeks earlier that they lost by 34, it would seem to be crisis time. But that’s not the approach of UNC Wilmington head coach Benny Moss, at least not after his team’s 79-56 loss at Northeastern on Saturday.
Moss was actually in good spirits following the loss in a game that was never close.
“(The blowout losses) could take big tolls, but I think this one is actually something that we’re growing from,” said Moss. “It’s the big picture. It’s about building towards something better Monday night, and Monday night it’s about building towards something better Wednesday night. If we’ve got the leaders on this team accepting their roles and carrying out their roles even better, we will be a pretty good team. I was actually pleased with what we saw today in the grand scheme of things.”
Moss didn’t start Chad Tomko and John Fields, the team’s top two scorers, on Saturday. He said it had nothing to do with their play and everything to do with intangibles. It certainly didn’t help the Seahawks, a team that has already had some struggles offensively. The biggest reason this team has been difficult to figure out is the offense, where they entered Saturday shooting just 42.5 percent from the field and turning the ball over nearly 18 times a game. They have played good defense, but haven’t been able to score enough.
A look at the results shows that this team is very capable of winning as well as losing big. They have knocked off Penn State by double digits, nearly won at Richmond and handed William & Mary their first CAA loss in Williamsburg. But they have been humbled by some of the upper echelon teams in the CAA, losing double-digit games to VCU, George Mason, Old Dominion and Northeastern.
“We know we’re a good team, we can hang in with the big boys,” Fields said.
Moss said he was happy with how some players responded on Saturday. Tomko and Fields were confident they understood what he was trying to convey to them, although Fields’ comment when asked about it didn’t quite match what Moss said. Said Fields: “Coach was trying to send a message to myself that I’ve got to play harder, play better.” Moss, on the other hand, noted that Tomko and Fields needed to realize what they mean to this team.
“It had more to do with accepting their roles as leaders and roles as guys that people on this team look to,” Moss said. “Watching tape, talking and doing video breakdowns and some different things, there were some things they weren’t doing leadership-wise. I thought both of those guys made steps in the right direction today. I thought they handled it well.”
Tomko, who has a great motor and has been the guard who makes this team go since arriving in Wilmington, had 17 points, and Fields had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Fields scored 11 of his points in the second half, when the outcome of the game was not in doubt. They were the only two Seahawks in double figures, and no one else had more than three rebounds in a game where they were out-rebounded 41-28.
The offensive struggles have been particularly acute early in games, as the Seahawks have started slowly of late. They got away with it against William & Mary, but haven’t in more recent games and Saturday was no exception. Moss noted that they had a strong start against George Mason, a game they lost, so it’s clear that consistency isn’t this team’s strong suit.
“It’s pretty concerning,” Tomko said of the slow starts. “We pretty much won the second half (on Saturday).”
The offensive struggles seem to boil down to taking care of the ball. The Seahawks lead the CAA in turnovers by a wide margin, and Moss notes that they aren’t only lost possessions. While the defensive numbers have been good enough to win games, especially in the CAA (opponents were shooting just over 40 percent in CAA play before Saturday), some turnovers lead to easy, uncontested baskets that also show up in the defensive numbers.
“Our defensive numbers could be even better if we took care of the basketball,” Moss said.
“We’ve been playing good defense,” Fields said. “Turnovers have been a problem in the losses. We’ve got to take better care of the ball, period.”
After the first half of Saturday’s game saw the Seahawks turn the ball over ten times and force just two Northeastern turnovers, the second half was a different story. The Seahawks had a turnover margin of +3 and were outscored by just three in the latter frame.
If the Seahawks can cut down on the turnovers, they’ll have a chance to win more games. Their defense is already giving them a chance, and they have shown that they’re a capable team. And considering the good spirits Moss was in following Saturday’s loss, one can imagine how he will be if they start doing that and winning games.
