East Carolina University
Hampton University
Lady Pirates Capture Season Opener, 74-58
November 14, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2008
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's basketball team christened a new season Friday night inside Minges Coliseum, defeating Hampton, 74-58. The Lady Pirates improve to 1-0 on the year while the visiting Lady Pirates drop to 0-1.
ECU won its second-straight season opener after it bested Presbyterian, 97-52, in last season's opener. The Lady Pirates also received double-figure scoring efforts from Preseason All-Conference USA honorees and seniors LaCoya Terry and Jasmine Young, who tallied 14 and 13, respectively.
ECU jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first two minutes of the game. Hampton then cut the deficit to 8-5 when Ashley Finlee made a layup and was fouled but missed the free throw. Freshman Jean Best put the Lady Pirates back up by five, 10-5 with a layup just before the first media timeout. Terry gave ECU its largest lead of the game at the 13:31 mark when she converted the squad's first two free throws of the contest, making the score 16-8. A 7-2 run, capped off by a Terry three-point basket extended the Lady Pirate lead to 23-10 before Finley answered right back with a jumper, cutting Hampton's deficit back to 11.
A layup by Terry with 5:23 left gave ECU a 35-20 lead. She was fouled on the play and converted the free throw, making the score, 36-20. With the three-point play, Terry entered into double figure scoring with 11 points. The Lady Pirates then went on another run, this time a 7-1 streak, giving them a 22-point lead at the half (43-21).
Terry led all scorers with 13 points in the stanza while freshman Crystal Wilson topped East Carolina in rebounding with five. Young also turned in a strong half, dishing out five assists. Additionally, Hampton committed 17 turnovers as compared to 10 for the homestanding Lady Pirates.
A quick three-pointer right out of the half pushed the ECU lead to 46-21 before Hampton scored nine straight to slash the advantage to 46-30. A three-pointer by Spivey ended the run at the 17:16 mark, extending the advantage back to 19 points. The three sparked a 8-0 run for the Lady Pirates as they re-established a 24-point lead at the first media timeout. However, Hampton put together a six-point run over the next minute and a half to shrink their deficit to 18. That lead would stand at the same margin at the 7:41 mark as ECU held its opponent without a basket for nearly four and a half minutes. Two free throws by Whitney Hill pulled Hampton to within 15, but Young responded with a three-point play to give her team an 18-point advantage back. Hill then earned a three-point play opportunity with 2:32 left, slicing the Lady Pirate lead to 14, but again responded with a layup before Wilson made two free throws to push the advantage back to 71-53. The teams would trade baskets the rest of the way as East Carolina cruised to the 16-point victory.
Wilson had a fine collegiate debut, nearly tallying a double-double with eight points and seven boards. Young's numbers were also just short of a double-double as she produced seven assists. Hampton out-rebounded the Lady Pirates 48-42 but committed 26 turnovers and shot just 39 percent from the charity stripe. East Carolina sizzled from the field, firing at a clip of nearly 55 percent.
The Lady Pirates return to the court Tuesday as they welcome Appalachian State to Minges Coliseum. First-year Lady Pirate assistant coach Adrienne Shuler will see her former team on the opposite bench, as she served as the Mountaineers' head coach for the past six seasons. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
