Pirates Defeat UNC Pembroke In Convincing Fashion
November 25, 2003 | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. ? It wasn't supposed to be a close game and East Carolina never let it turn into one as the Pirates posted a convincing 100-59 win over Division II UNC Pembroke here Tuesday night.
The Pirates (2-0) put four players in double figures led by senior Derrick Wiley, who tallied 22 points for a second consecutive game. Gabriel Mikulas scored a quiet 18 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Fellow senior Erroyl Bing came off the bench to chip in 13 points, while sophomore Corey Rouse posted a second straight career-high scoring game with 11 points.
Freshman Japhet McNeil handed out eight assists for the Pirates, who recorded 24 assists on 35 made baskets.
Not only did the Pirates do a nice job of sharing the basketball, they out-muscled the undersized Braves to the tune of 53-22 on the boards and scored 56 points in the paint.
"We knew that they were undersized in the frontcourt and that we needed to physically dominate this team inside," said Bing, who moved into sixth place on the school's career rebounding list with 728 career boards.
Back-to-back dunks by Wiley got the Pirates off and running as they jumped out to a 12-point lead before the first media time-out. ECU extended its lead to 19 before UNC Pembroke (1-3) made a charge to cut the lead to 11 with 9:37 left in the half. The Pirates closed the frame on a 23-11 run to lead by 23 at intermission, 56-33.
Despite allowing the Braves to shoot 42.9 percent in the first half, the Pirates forced UNCP into 14 first half turnovers which translated into 26 points. ECU scored a grand total of 44 points off 24 Brave turnovers.
The Pirates methodically built their lead throughout the second half , leading by as many as 44 late in the game before posting a 41-point victory for its 16th consecutive win over a Division II opponent.
ECU returns to action Saturday, Nov. 29 against Coastal Carolina, who defeated the Pirates by 19 a year ago. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 8 p.m. and is the second game of a doubleheader with the ECU women's basketball team.
East Carolina vs. UNC Pembroke
Nov. 25, 2003
Postgame Quotes
East Carolina Head Coach Bill Herrion
"I think we got a little too greedy defensively in the first half, we got up 18- 4 and we were so extended defensively and out of position. I think that hurt us and we got away from our man-to-man principles, and that is part my blame in the first half."
"We have a lot of young guys that we are still trying to break in here. Japhet McNeil, Frank Robinson and Mike Cook just played their second college basketball game. I think if we are going to be disappointed with a 41 point win, then we need to look down inside ourselves but we will take it, we are happy to be 2-0."
"Derrick Wiley is playing excellent offensive basketball for us."
" I think Japhet McNeil and Derrick Wiley really bailed us out. Japhet McNeil's defensive pressure is outstanding, but he really needs to cut down his turnovers."
East Carolina vs. UNC Pembroke
Nov. 25, 2003
Postgame Notes
