Pirate Hoops Gets Off to Winning Start
November 22, 2002 | Men's Basketball
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) -- Gabriel Mikulas scored 15 points and hit a game-winning jumper with 21 seconds to play Friday as East Carolina beat Middle Tennessee 65-63 in the season opener for both teams.
Middle Tennessee's Keith Connor missed a 3-pointer with six seconds to play. East Carolina's Erroyl Bing got the rebound, one of his game-high eight. Bing missed his free throw but the Blue Raiders lost the ball on the rebound.
A jumper by Derrick Wiley with 14:58 to play in the second half put East Carolina up by four points, the largest lead of the game for either team.
For East Carolina, Belton Rivers scored 12 points, and Wiley and Holcomb-Faye both added 11.
The Blue Raiders were led by John Humphrey with 16 points. Tommy Gunn added 14 and Connor 10.
"It is a great win for us," ECU head coach Bill Herrion said. "We are still a young team. We had good Conference USA wins at home last year. If our program is going to make the next step, we have to win non-conference games on the road. Offensively, we struggled. But, their defense had something to do with that. [MT] is going to win ball games this year. Kermit [Davis] is a great coach. They are a good basketball team. They defend and play hard."
ECU returns to Greenville for its home opener this Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. when the Pirates host Ole Miss.
