Men's Basketball Comes Up Short Against Charlotte
February 07, 2004 | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) _ Curtis Withers scored four of his 21 points in overtime and Eddie Basden finished with 27 in Charlotte's 96-90 victory over East Carolina on Saturday.
Calvin Clemmons also scored 15 for the 49ers (14-5, 6-2 Conference USA), including a dunk at the end of regulation that tied the game at 80.
Withers then scored the first four points of overtime and Demon Brown hit four free throws to help Charlotte hold on. Brown and Brendan Plavich each had 12 points.
Moussa Badiane paced five Pirates (9-10, 1-8) in double figures with a team-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. Mike Cook had 18 points and reserve Corey Rouse finished with 14 for East Carolina.
The Pirates shot 39 percent in the first half but still managed to take a 40-35 halftime lead.
The two teams combined to commit 66 fouls and attempt 89 free throws. Five players fouled out for East Carolina.
Basden made four 3-pointers, including one in overtime that got Charlotte a 93-86 lead.
Derrick Wiley and Erroyl Bing both had 10 for East Carolina, which made only 3 of 12 shots in overtime.
East Carolina vs. Charlotte
Feb. 7, 2004
Postgame Quotes
East Carolina Head Coach Bill Herrion
"We have been down this road so many times before. There are obviously no moral victories in this game at all."
"Our kids played their hearts out, they played their guts out, but that is supposed to be a given and a constant in this program anyway."
"We don't play real smart basketball in crucial spots. That is the difference right now between us having a couple more conference wins and not. We had a great opportunity to win the game tonight in regulation if we make a few free throws, we don't throw it away, or we don't foul 50-feet from the basket. All of that stuff gets magnified in close games like tonight."
On Charlotte
"They are a very good basketball team. They are a borderline NCAA tournament team. They have had some great wins this year going to Syracuse, Cincinnati, and Southern Illinois and winning. That is what I think helped them win this game tonight because they have some won some pretty big road games and have experience doing it."
"I thought our kids played hard and lets give them credit. It would have been a great win for our basketball team tonight against them."
"Our basketball team is getting better every night we step on the floor. Unfortunately you are not seeing it in a lot of wins and that is the frustrating thing, but we truly are getting better."
Charlotte Head Coach Bobby Lutz
"People may look at the score in the paper and say we played poorly and that is really not the case. That is taking away from East Carolina and how hard they play. They are going to beat some people here, I said that before the game and I still believe it. I think they are a better team than they have been, it is just so hard to win in this league."
On East Carolina
"They showed how good they were tonight. Wiley didn't have a good game for them but Badiane and Rouse had career nights."
"It was anybody's game. Obviously we were a little lucky at the end. We were missing foul shots but we finally made them down the stretch in overtime."
"We did not play well in the first half when they killed us on the boards. In the second half we picked it up and out-rebounded them by 11 and made foul shots at the end of the second half and overtime."
"They played great, we played good enough to win. It is the kind of game you have to win if you are going to have a special year. We still aren't there yet but it is the kind of game that if you survive, it gives you an opportunity to get a little momentum and be playing in March and that is what we are trying to do."
East Carolina vs. Charlotte
Feb. 7. 2004
Postgame Notes
