East Carolina University
UNC-Wilmington
ECU Blitzes UNC Wilmington As Rivalry Is Rekindled
December 31, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2005
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina scored the first eight points of the game and led by 20 points less than 10 minute into the game en route to defeating UNC Wilmington, 82-69, here Saturday in the first game between the two former Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rivals since 2001.
Five players scored double figures for the Pirates (5-6) led by freshman Sam Hinnant, who finished with a game-high 18 points. Junior Courtney Captain came off the bench to net 15 points, while senior Corey Rouse, junior Tyronne Beale and sophomore Jeremy Ingram add 11 points each.
Rouse also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for this Conference USA best eighth double-double of the season.
ECU forced UNCW (9-4) into a terrible shooting night, especially senior John Goldsberry, the Seahawks' leading scorer. Goldsberry entered the game shooting 52.2 percent from the field, but was only 2-of-15 from the field with only four attempts inside the arc.
Goldsberry finished with 10 points, aided by a 4-for-5 performance at the foul line. Sophomore Todd Henly led the Seahawks with 13 points, while Taylor Lay and T.J. Carter added also added 10 points each.
The Pirates turned in their best defensive performance of the season, holding the Seahawks to their second lowest field goal percentage of the year, 35.6 percent.
Ingram scored nine of the Pirates' first 11 points as he drained three consecutive three-point baskets for an early 11-5 lead less than four minutes into the contest.
The lead quickly ballooned to 20, 30-10, as the Pirates went on a 19-5 run over the next 4:15 capped by a four-point play from Captain. The Pirates made 6-of-10 first half three-pointers and shot 56 percent (14-of-25) from the floor and held a 17-point halftime lead, 46-29.
The second half began much like the first with ECU scoring the first five points out of the locker room on a lay up by Beale and Hinnant's third three-pointer of the game. The ECU lead then swelled to 25, 60-35, on jumper by Beale with 11:36 remaining.
ECU maintained its 20-point advantage until the clock dipped under the six-minute mark. UNCW put together a furious rally, out-scoring the ECU 15-5 over a four-minute stretch to cut the its deficit to 10, 73-63, with 2:07 left on the clock.
The parade to the foul line then began and the Pirates made 7-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes to preserve a 13-point victory despite being held without a field goal in the final six minutes. Three of those made free throws came courtesy of junior Japhet McNeil.
McNeil made 7-of-11 second half foul shots and 3-of-4 in the final minute, while he distributed double digit assists, 10, for the fourth time in his career.
The victory snapped a three-game slide against UNCW for the Pirates, who recorded their first victory over their rival to the south since January 7, 2000.
ECU returns to action Tuesday, January 3 against No. 22 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m.
