Lady Pirates Host Western Carolina Sunday
November 15, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2009
ECU Women's Basketball Gameday Central
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After dispatching 2009 Atlantic 10 champion Charlotte, 84-61, in the season opener, the East Carolina women's basketball team looks to improve to 2-0 as it hosts 2009 Southern Conference champion Western Carolina Sunday at Minges Coliseum.
The Catamounts enter the contest having dropped their season lid-lifter at Richmond, 65-42. Junior Allison Spivey and sophomore Ashley Clarke both enjoyed career performances against the 49ers, putting in 25 and 22 points, respectively. Clarke also dished out a team-high six assists. Additionally, redshirt junior Kelly Smith collected a team-best seven rebounds in her Lady Pirate debut.
THE SERIES: WESTERN CAROLINA
East Carolina and Western Carolina meet today for the 17th time in a series that dates back to 1971. The Catamounts hold a 9-7 lead and have won the last two contests. However, before that two-game stretch, the Lady Pirates won three-straight from 1977-80. ECU is 4-3 against the Catamounts in Greenville, 2-2 in Cullowhee and 2-3 at neutral sites. Additionally, In the Lady Pirate three-game winning streak, a contest occurred in Greenville, one in Cullowhee and the other in Greensboro. East Carolina has never lost three-straight to Western Carolina.
SEASON OPENING SUCCESS
With the 84-61 win over Charlotte in the season opener, the Lady Pirates have won three-straight campaign lid-lifters for the first time since 1981-83. ECU also began the season at home for the third consecutive season, something that has not occurred since the 1980s. The Lady Pirates are now 31-11 (.738) in the first home contest of each campaign and improved their season-beginning record to 21-21 (.500).
STRANGE SYMMETRY
In East Carolina and Western Carolina's 2009-10 season openers, each team produced a 23-point score margin. However, the Lady Pirates defeated Charlotte, 84-61, while the Catamounts lost at Richmond, 65-42.
BALDWIN-TENER AGAINST WESTERN CAROLINA
Baldwin-Tener has never faced the Catamounts as head coach of the Lady Pirate program or in her time at Mercer and Life. Georgia also did not square off against Western Carolina in her time in Athens as an assistant coach.
MIDDLETON AGAINST EAST CAROLINA
Catamounts head coach Karen Middleton has not coached against the Lady Pirates in any of her coaching positions as an assistant at South Carolina, Eastern Washington, Stanford or Illinois.
STRANGE SYMMETRY
In East Carolina and Western Carolina's 2009-10 season openers, each team produced a 23-point score margin. However, the Lady Pirates defeated Charlotte, 84-61, while the Catamounts lost at Richmond, 65-42.
EAST CAROLINA AGAINST THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
East Carolina holds an all-time mark of 60-32 (.652) against the current members of the Southern Conference. The Lady Pirates have squared off against Appalachian State (28-10), Davidson (1-2), Elon (6-2), Furman (1-2), Georgia Southern (1-2), UNC Greensboro (16-5) and Western Carolina (7-9). Second-year assistant coach Adrienne Shuler spent six seasons at Appalachian State before joining the East Carolina staff and in 2007-08, the Lady Pirates defeated the Mountaineers 75-69 at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C. ECU is not scheduled to face any other Southern Conference opponents this season.
LADY PIRATES VERSUS THEIR FELLOW TAR HEELS
ECU owns a 207-143 (.591) ledger when facing other squads from North Carolina. The Lady Pirates have taken on Appalachian State (28-10), Barton (9-1), Campbell (31-6), Charlotte (8-22), Chowan (4-0), Davidson (1-2), Duke (9-6), Elon (6-2), Fayetteville State (3-1), Gardner-Webb (4-0), High Point (9-4), Meredith (2-0), North Carolina (11-16), UNC Asheville (2-0), UNC Greensboro (16-5), UNC Pembroke (2-0), UNC Wilmington (28-19), North Carolina A&T (10-5), NC Central (5-0), N.C. State (6-32), Wake Forest (6-3) and Western Carolina (7-9).
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
East Carolina sports a 269-160 (.627) record inside Minges Coliseum since the arena opened in 1975. Last season, the squad went 12-2 (.857) at home, matching the second-most single-season home wins in program history. The Lady Pirates are 296-163 (.645) when playing in Greenville, spending their first six seasons at an on-campus alternate site while Minges was erected. ECU has been equally effective on its home court under Baldwin-Tener, having accumulated a 62-34 (.646) mark, including a 32-21 (.604) ledger against C-USA competiton.
