Preview: UNC Wilmington Seahawks vs. Northeastern Huskies in CAA Women’s Basketball Championship

WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to salvage difficult seasons will meet when the seed UNC Wilmington Seahawks face the seed Northeastern Huskies in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

The matchup at the Entertainment and Sports Arena features squads with a combined 13-44 record. Northeastern (7-21) enters as the nominal home team, while UNC Wilmington (6-23) looks to advance after losing eight of its last nine games to close the regular season.

The teams split their regular-season series, with the Seahawks claiming a 69-67 home victory on Jan. 2. That result provides a glimmer of hope for a UNC Wilmington team that has struggled offensively, failing to reach 60 points in 10 of its last 11 contests.

The Seahawks will lean heavily on guard Kylah Silver, who has been a consistent bright spot. Silver averaged 14.6 points over her final seven games, including a 21-point effort at Stony Brook and an 18-point performance in the regular-season finale at Elon. Her ability to log heavy minutes and create offense will be critical.

Northeastern counters with its own standout in Justice Tramble. The guard is coming off a 15-point, 5-rebound game against Hofstra and has shown high-scoring potential, dropping 24 points against Hampton on March 1. The Huskies’ lone win since Feb. 15 was a 73-60 victory over Stony Brook, where Tramble posted 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Both teams have been plagued by inconsistency. Northeastern’s defense allowed an average of 73.4 points during its current 1-7 skid. UNC Wilmington’s offense has been stagnant, shooting just 34.8% from the field over its last five games.

The winner will advance to face the tournament’s top seed in the quarterfinals on Thursday. For either the Seahawks or Huskies, Wednesday represents a final chance to change the narrative of a long winter and make an unexpected run in the nation’s capital.

Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 5 p.m. EDT.