Three-Point Barrage Does In East Carolina

January 15, 2005 | Men's Basketball

Three-Point Barrage Does In East Carolina

01/15/2005

ECU-UAB Box.pdf

Final Stats

Postgame Quotes

Postgame notes

Greenville, N.C. -- UAB made 10 three-pointers, including three in a span of 0:54 seconds in the first half, and defeated East Carolina in Conference USA men's basketball action here Saturday, 76-64, despite being out-shot and out-rebounded by the Pirates.

East Carolina (5-11, 0-4 C-USA) held a five-point lead eight minutes into the contest, but UAB went on a 20-4 run over the next 7:44 to claim an 11-point advantage as the Blazers' bench pushed them out in front. UAB's bench scored 13 points during the streak and its reserve players out-scored the Pirates' reserves by final tally of 29 (40-11).

Down nine at intermission, ECU quickly cut its deficit to five less than five minutes into the second half. UAB (13-4, 3-1 C-USA) responded by making a trio of threes in its next six possessions to push its lead to 15 with 9:23 left, 63-48.

Jumpers by Moussa Badiane and Japhet McNeil pulled the Pirates with seven, 71-64, with 4:35 remaining, but UAB didn't allow ECU to get any closer as it held the Pirates scoreless the remainder of the game.

UAB's pressure defense turned 17 ECU turnovers into 22 points, including 18 points off 13 first half miscues. However, the Pirates won the battle of the boards by a margin of nine, 42-31.

ECU junior Corey Rouse recorded his sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 17 points and 14 rebounds. Badiane contributed 15 points, while Mike Cook and Tom Hammonds netted 11 points each.

Marvett McDonald came off the bench to net 16 points for the Blazers, nailing 4-of-5 three-point field goals. Donell Taylor scored 12 points and Marques Lewis added 11 points in the victory.

East Carolina will look to end its four-game slide on Wednesday night as it travels to No. 19 Louisville for a 7:30 p.m. match-up.

East Caolina Head Coach Bill Herrion
"It is the same old story. We get off to a good start and then turn it over a couple times and they get some easy baskets. With 13 turnovers at the half, you are not going to win basketball games in this league with that."

"We just needed a better effort out of our kids today. It was a great opportunity to win a home game and you have got to take advantage when you have that opportunity."

On frontcourt production
"We have got to get them from somewhere. I thought Moussa was OK today. The way they play, it is so hard to get into your offense. Our guard play was not good. Again, we were careless and lackadaisical with the basketball. There is really no excuse for that, we just have to be tougher with the ball."

UAB Head Coach Mike Anderson
"Tonight we played with a purpose and that was the biggest key for us. We played with poise, we pushed the ball at the right time and made the extra pass at the right time."

"East Carolina just wouldn't go away, and that is a credit to Bill and his staff. There are a lot of young kids on this East Carolina team, but their confident and going to be able to win more ball games once they put it all together."

"Brandon Tobias was big for us tonight. I felt he was able to give us another dimension inside with his physical presence. This helped opened the door for Marvett to set up his shots."

Postgame Notes

Senior Moussa Badiane became the 18th player in school history to grab 500 career rebounds by swiping nine against UAB to bring his career to to 507.

Badiane blocked five shots in a game for the 19th time in his career, bringing his career total to 284 (eight shy of the C-USA career record).

Sophomore Japhet McNeil tied his career-high for assists with eight helpers.

Junior Corey Rouse led ECU in socring and rebounding in the same game for the fourth time this season. It was the ninth time this year that he grabbed double-digit rebounds.