Women's Hoops Hosts Lady Pirate Invitational

Nov. 26, 2009

GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's basketball team returns home this weekend, hosting Bethune-Cookman Friday at 5 p.m. and Towson Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in the Eighth-Annual Lady Pirate Invitational. For the contest against the Tigers Saturday, fans can gain free admission by presenting their ECU-Southern Miss football game ticket stub.

Bethune-Cookman enters the contest with a record of 1-3 after losing at North Florida, 75-57, Tuesday in Jacksonville.

Last Sunday, the Lady Pirates recorded a 70-65 win over 2009 WNIT participant American in their first road contest of 2009-10 in Washington, D.C. Junior Kim Gay notched her second career double-double against the Eagles, netting a career-best 18 points and pulling down 11 rebounds while sophomore Ashley Clarke has scored in double figures in all four contests this season, leading the team with a 17.0 points per game average.

NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOU
The Lady Pirates and Bethune-Cookman have only met once on the hardwood. ECU has a winning record against teams it has only played one time in its history, as the Lady Pirates have taken 34 of the 56 matchups (.607).

OTHERS TAKING NOTE
The Lady Pirate fans are not the only people taking note of the team's play so far this season. In the second ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll, East Carolina received seven votes. It marks the second-straight campaign in which the Lady Pirates have appeared on the list. ECU garnered as many as six votes during the 2008-09 season.

LADY PIRATES IN THEIR OWN TOURNAMENT
East Carolina holds an all-time record of 10-4 in the eight years it has hosted the Lady Pirate Invitational. The Lady Pirates won four of their first five games in tournament history before succumbing to No. 9 and eventual national champion Baylor, 80-59, in the 2004 championship game. ECU has won at least one game in each edition of the event and won the 2002 and 2005 titles.

EAST CAROLINA AGAINST THE MEAC
East Carolina holds an all-time mark of 32-10 (.762) against the current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Lady Pirates have squared off against Bethune Cookman (1-0), Coppin State (3-1), Delaware State (4-0), Florida A&M (1-0), Hampton (4-0), Howard (5-1), Maryland Eastern Shore (1-0), North Carolina A&T (10-5) and South Carolina State (3-3).

LADY PIRATES AGAINST THE SUNSHINE STATE
The Lady Pirates own an all-time mark of 20-8 (.714) against teams from Florida. ECU has squared off against Bethune-Cookman (1-0), Florida (1-2), Florida Atlantic (2-0), Florida A&M (1-0), Florida International (1-0), Florida State (2-1), Miami (1-1), Stetson (1-1), South Florida (4-1) and UCF (6-2).

HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
East Carolina sports a 271-160 (.629) 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 298-163 (.646) 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 head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener, having accumulated a 64-34 (.653) mark, including a 32-21 (.604) ledger against C-USA competition.

NICE NON-CONFERENCE NOTE
East Carolina has always regarded non-conference games as a chance to get better before heading into the rigors of C-USA play. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Lady Pirates have recently excelled in those affairs. In its last 17 non-league games, ECU has produced a record of 13-4 (.765). The four losses, to VCU, North Carolina A&T, Virgina and Marist, all occurred during the 2008-09 season and all four teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

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