Slow Second Half Dooms Pirates at Saint Louis, 70-47
January 24, 2004 | Men's Basketball
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Tom Frericks scored 13 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Saint Louis beat East Carolina 70-47 on Saturday.
Saint Louis (11-5, 4-1 Conference USA) won its sixth consecutive home game and seventh of its last eight games. East Carolina (8-7, 0-5) lost its sixth straight game.
The Billikens used a 10-0 run in the first 4:40 of the second half to take control as Josh Fisher and Reggie Bryant each hit 3-pointers.
The Billikens twice built leads of 13 points in the first eight minutes of the half as Saint Louis outscored the Pirates 18-6.
Saint Louis led 50-32 with 9:08 remaining, and the Billikens' largest lead at 68-44 came with 2:49 left.
The first half was closely contested with 10 lead changes and two ties as Saint Louis took a 27-26 halftime lead.
A steal and lay-up by East Carolina's Belton Rivers beat the buzzer -- the Pirates' first field goal since the 8:40 mark. East Carolina made just 3-of-18 shots in the final 12 minutes of the half.
East Carolina shot 37 percent in the first half while Saint Louis shot just 33 percent.
All five Saint Louis starters scored in double figures for the first time this season.
Bryant led all scorers with 17 points, Chris Sloan scored 12 points, Fisher had 11 and Izik Ohanon added 10 points.
Derrick Wiley led East Carolina with nine points.
Saint Louis outrebounded East Carolina 41-26. Frericks had seven of the Billikens' 14 offensive rebounds.
