Men's Basketball Heads To Memphis With Consecutive Wins Wednesday
January 31, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Greenville, N.C. --- Fresh off the heels' of consecutive wins for the first time since early December, East Carolina will try to make it three in-a-row Wednesday night when it travels Memphis to take on the University of Memphis Tigers at the FedEx Forum. The Pirates earned their first two Conference USA wins of the season last week, posting wins at home over Saint Louis and Charlotte. The Pirates have yet to win on the road this season, but are hoping to use some new found confidence to find its first of the year Wednesday night.
East Carolina limited its last two opponents to an average of 52.0 points and 35.2 percent shooting from the floor; while dominating the glass. ECU won the battle of the boards in the two games by a combined total of 25 rebounds (+12.5 rpg). Junior Corey Rouse jerked 24 rebounds in the two victories last week with senior Moussa Badiane and sophomore Mike Cook averaged seven rebounds each in helping the Pirates record their first two Conference USA wins of the season.
On Saturday, ECU rallied from a seven-point deficit with 6:41 remaining to snap an eight-game losing streak to Charlotte, holding the 49ers scoreless during the game's final 6:41. Freshman Tom Hammonds scored a career-high 16 points, the two most important points coming on a 15-foot jumper with 1:06 left to give ECU a one-point lead. Badiane, who became the league's all-time leader in blocked shots Saturday, rejected a Curtis Withers' shot and then drew a charge against Eddie Basden on the Niners' next possession to lift ECU to a three-point win, 54-51. Badiane also scored 16 points for ECU, while moving past Kenyon Martin as the greatest shot blocker in the 10-year history of Conference USA.
The Pirates limited Charlotte to just 32 percent shooting and out-rebounded them by eight, allowing just five second chance points.
The last time East Carolina and Memphis met, the Tigers out-scored the Pirates by 10 in the final 11 minutes to escape Greenville with a six-point win, 79-73. Memphis leads the brief series with ECU, 2-0.
Rally Pirates
After losing 10 straight games when trailing at the half, East Carolina rallied from a pair of halftime deficits last week. The Pirates trailed Saint Louis by five at the break, but scored the first 12 points of the second half and won by seven, 60-53. Against Charlotte on Saturday, ECU was down four at intermission, but never allowed the 49ers to stretch their lead beyond eight and outs-scored them 10-0 in the final 6:41 to rally for its second come-from-behind victory in as many games.
Oddly enough, East Carolina began the season by rallying from a six-point halftime deficit against Pepperdine.
Hammonds Finding Touch
Freshman Tom Hammonds ranks among the league's most accurate three-point shooters entering Wednesday's game. Hammonds is shooting 39.3 percent from downtown the past eight games (11-of-28), ranking him 15th in the latest conference statistical rankings for league games only. Hammonds tied his career-mark of four 3s in a game this past Saturday against Charlotte.
Herrion Moving Up ECU Charts
With a victory over Memphis on Wednesday night, ECU Head Coach Bill Herrion would win his 69th game at ECU, becoming just the fourth coach in school history to record that many wins during his tenure. The game will be the 399th game Herrion has patrolled the sidelines in over 13 years as a Division I head coach.
Moussa Badiane Named Co-Player of the Week
Senior Moussa Badiane was named C-USA co-Player of the Week on Monday, along with Larry O'Bannon of Louisville.
In addition to breaking the C-USA blocks record, Badiane averaged 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game to help the Pirates record their first two Conference USA victories of the season.
