Lady Pirate Basketball Defeats Duquesne In Season Opener
November 19, 2004 | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The East Carolina women's basketball team used an 11-0 run in the final five minutes of the second half to claim a 65-51 victory over Duquesne Friday night inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
The Pirates (1-0) had two players in double figures led by senior Jennifer Jackson's game-high 23 points and a team-best eight boards. Fellow senior Viola Cooper netted 11 points, while hitting two three-pointers, including one with 13 seconds left in the first half.
For the first eight minutes in the second half, both teams traded baskets as the largest lead was four points by the Pirates at the intermission. Back-to-back lay-ups by Jackson and Tamekia Powell gave the Pirates a five-point lead with 9:37 remaining.
Jackson answered Duquesne's three-pointer by Maria Stankevich when she connected on her fourth three of the night to spark the Pirates. Cooper then drained her second three and Samantha Pankey hit a seven foot jumper to put ECU up by eight, 54-46. From that moment on, ECU cruised to a 65-41 victory outscoring the Dukes 18-9.
"I thought our team played hard defensively tonight," said head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. "In the first half, we were struggling a bit offensively and the defensive play kept us in the ball game. Last year, if we not scoring, we were going to loose. So I feel a little bit better tonight knowing that we have improved."
ECU returns to action Sunday, Nov. 21 when they travel to Washington, D.C. to take on another Atlantic-10 school in George Washington. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
East Carolina vs. Duquesne
Nov. 19, 2004
Post Game Notes
Sharon Baldwin-Tener
Post Game Quotes
On Jennifer Jackson:
"When Jennifer is playing hard and really getting after it, she makes a lot of things happen for us. It's not just with her points, but she led us in rebounds (tied with 8). She makes a lot of things happen."
On Keisha Anthony:
"Keisha makes a lot of things happen. Sometimes she struggles with her decisions on the offensive end of the floor, but her intensity and enthusiasm really makes the players around her better."
