ECU to Host Marquette in C-USA Opener
December 29, 2002 | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina, now in its second season as a member of Conference USA, opens league play against 12th-ranked Marquette in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Monday night at 7 p.m. It will be the conference opener for both teams. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Greenville on March 5, but was moved due to a facility conflict.
The game will be televised on the ESPN pay-per-package Full Court and throughout the Midwest on Fox Sports Net Midwest. Pat Hughes and Doug Bell serve as the television broadcasters. The game can also be heard over the 26-station Pirate Sports Network, including WCZI (98.3 FM) and WGPM (94.3 FM) in Greenville.
ECU (8-2) is coming off a 19-point loss at Coastal Carolina on Monday, Dec. 23 prior to its Christmas break, 90-71. Junior Gabriel Mikulas led the Pirates with his second 20-point performance of the season. Mikulas scored 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 at the free throw line. Freshman Belton Rivers also recorded double digits scoring with 12 points and junior college transfer Luke MacKay reached double figures for the first time in his career with 10 points.
The Golden Eagles of Marquette (8-1) are coming off a 31-point victory over Grambling on Saturday afternoon, 105-74. The Golden Eagles outscored Grambling 52-29 in the second half after leading by just eight points at the break. Robert Jackson led all scorers with 26 points, while preseason Conference USA Player of the Year Dwayne Wade finished with 23 points. Travis Diener and Todd Townsend also recorded double figures scoring.
The all-time series between the Pirates and Golden Eagles is tied at 1-1. Marquette defeated East Carolina by 12, 70-58, in the first ever meeting between the two in Milwaukee last season. The Pirates then stunned the then-No. 9 Golden Eagles by five, 51-46, in Greenville for the school's first ever win over a top 10 team.
