Men's Basketball Ready To Host Gardner-Webb Tuesday Night
November 21, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2005
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GREENVILLE, N.C. -- With a season-opening victory in pocket, East Carolina will look to start off the season with consecutive wins for a sixth straight season when it host Gardner-Webb on Tuesday night inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
ECU will be collecting canned goods items to donate to a local shelter for the Thanksgiving holiday. Fans who bring a canned food item to the Minges Coliseum ticket window will receive a ticket for free admission.
The Pirates (1-0) opened the season by posting an 86-75 win over North Carolina A&T on Friday night. Senior Corey Rouse, the reigning Conference USA Player of the Week, led the way with a career-high 35 points and 17 rebounds, aided by freshman Sam Hinnant and junior college transfer Courtney Captain. Hinnant netted 19 points in his collegiate debut, while Captain added 10.
After trailing 10-4, ECU scored 22 of the game's next 29 points to assume a nine-point lead and take a four-point advantage into the locker room. A&T scored the first basket of the second half, but to back-to-back threes by Captain and Hinnant gave ECU control of the game as it's lead eventually swelled to 16 points. The Pirates shot 54 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the arc.
Gardner-Webb (0-1), who returns all five starters from last season's Atlantic Sun regular season championship team, enters the game with a loss after nearly upsetting defending national champion North Carolina on Saturday night. Freshman Ricky McPhee hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 80-80 with 11.7 seconds remaining, only to see UNC forward David Noel bounce in his own triple with 1.8 seconds left to give the Tar Heels an 83-80 victory. McPhee came off the bench to score a team-high 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range.
As a team, the Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the floor and 37 percent from behind the arc, nailing 10-of-27 three-point shots.
Seniors Simon Conn, Tim Jennings and T.J. McCullough combined for 49 points led by Jennings' 20-point performance.
The all-time series between the two teams is tied at 1-1 with each team winning on its home court. ECU won the first-ever meeting between the two schools in Greenville during the 2003-04 season, 76-59, while Gardner-Webb returned the favor last season by handing the Pirates a 30-point loss in Boiling Springs.
The game can be heard across the Pirate Sports Radio Network or over the internet at www.ecupirates.com with Jeff Charles and Si Seymour calling the action.
