Lady Pirates Host Cincinnati In Friday Night Hoops Action
February 10, 2005 | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. ? Sitting in eighth place heading into this weekend's action, East Carolina will look to inch closer to its third consecutive Conference USA Tournament berth this weekend when they host Cincinnati Friday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. and Louisville Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. for the final time in C-USA play at Williams Arena.
This past weekend in Tampa, Fla., the Pirates continued their dominance against the USF Bulls, coming away with a 63-59 victory for their fourth C-USA win. Senior Jennifer Jackson led three Pirates in double-figures recording her fourth double-double of the season and 16th of her career with game-highs in points (22) and rebounds (14). Samantha Pankey netted 11 points while Shanita Sutton added 10 points and came within one rebound shy of her third double-double of the season.
In a 75-70 loss to UAB on Monday, Feb. 7, Sutton scored a team-high 16 points, 14 of those coming in the second half. Junior forward LaToya Horton nabbed a season-high 14 rebounds,12 of those coming on the defensive end. Jackson moved into fifth place all-time on ECU's scoring list with her 12 points, while fellow senior guard Viola Cooper contributed with 10 points for her 23rd career double-digit game.
Jackson currently leads the Pirates in scoring (15.6 ppg) and ranks second in rebounds (6.0 rpg). Against Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the Lady Pirate Invitational, Jackson netted a career-best and C-USA season best 34 points, hitting 13-of-21 shots from the floor. In a 68-45 win over VCU, Jackson recorded her fourth 30-plus point game of her career with 30 points.
Sutton is the other Pirate to average double-figures with her 11.1 points per game. She ranks first in rebounds, pulling down 6.1 per contest and is tied for the team lead in blocks (16). Against VCU, she recorded her eighth consecutive double-digit game with a career-high 20 points. Sutton has posted double-figure games in 14 of her last 19 games dating back to Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 27), when she recorded her first career double-double (14 pts. and 11 reb.) en route to being named to the Four Points LAX Turkey Shootout all tournament team.
ECU's lone consistency can be found on the boards as they have equaled or out rebounded 14 of their 22 opponents on the season (866-771) and as of Feb. 7, the Pirates ranked 61st in the nation with a 4.3 rebounding margin.
About Cincinnati: The Bearcats (7-15, 2-7) have won two of its last three games including an impressive 10-point (79-69) victory of Marquette. Toni Slaughter scored a career-high 21 points and helped UC to set a season-high in points (79), shooting percentage (47) and free throw percentage (88). Three other Bearcats scored in double figures with Karen Twehues and Anne Stephens each hitting 14 while Edwina Williams added 10. In their last outing, UC fell to nationally ranked (17) DePaul, 67-55. Stephens collected a team-best 20 points and Twehues contributed with 17. In the last meeting between ECU and UC, the Bearcats came away with a 78-72, double-overtime win on Feb. 20, 2004. Courtney Willis (24 points, 19 rebounds) and Jennifer Jackson (19 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles for the Pirates. Former UC guard Valerie King netted 24 points, while Stephens added 16 points and four blocks.
About Louisville: The Cardinals (16-6, 7-2) have won 14 of their last 17 games, with their most recent win coming against Marquette, 70-56. Four players were in double-figures and were led by Angel Bradley's 15 points. Connie Neal recorded 14 points while sophomore Jazz Covington and Yuliya Tokova each added 12 respectively. Tokova also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. On the season, Louisville is led by Covington and her 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. In the last meeting between the two schools, the Cardinals came away with a 79-75 overtime win at Cardinal Arena. Courtney Willis led four Pirates in double-figures with 25 points and 17 rebounds. Current Pirate seniors Viola Cooper (15), Shanita Sutton (11) and Jennifer Jackson (10) also posted double-digits in points.
