Season Comes Down To Saturday Night's Game Against Tulane
March 04, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Greenville, N.C. --- Win or go home. That is what is at stake Saturday night when East Carolina concludes the 2004-05 regular season against Tulane in New Orleans. An East Carolina victory clinches a spot in the 2005 Conference USA Tournament in Memphis next week, however a loss would mean the end of the Pirates' season and the career of head coach Bill Herrion at East Carolina. ECU and Tulane both enter the game with identical league records of 4-11.
The Pirates will be taking the floor for the first time in a week Saturday night after losing to Houston, 76-72, in its final home game of the year last Saturday. Senior Moussa Badiane led the Pirates with 22 points, while sophomore Mike Cook and freshman Tom Hammonds added 16 points each.
Tulane is in the midst of a five-game losing streak after falling at Cincinnati this past Wednesday, 77-56. Freshman Taylor Rochesite led the Green Wave with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Quincy Davis added 12 points.
The Pirates will be seeking just their second road win of the season Saturday night. East Carolina recorded its lone road victory of the year at UAB on Feb. 16, 67-64. ECU is 1-6 on the road in league games this season, while Tulane has a record of 2-5 at home against Conference USA opponents with a three-point overtime win against UAB and another three-point victory over Southern Miss.
In addition to having the chance to help ECU earn its third bid to the Conference USA Tournament in four years, sophomore Japhet McNeil will have the opportunity to make some history of his own. McNeil needs just three assists to set the East Carolina single season record for assists. He enters Saturday night's game with 118 helpers this season. The record of 120 was set by Jeff Kelly during the 1988-89 season.
Saturday night's game will mark just the third meeting between East Carolina and Tulane. The two teams split the previous two meetings with each team winning on its home court. Tulane won the first-ever meeting between the two on February 1, 2003, 67-56, in New Orleans. The Pirates recorded a 76-66 won over the Green Wave in Greenville last season.
