Lady Pirates Face Tough Test At USF
December 19, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2009
TAMPA, Fla. - After earning a 103-59 win over Houston-Baptist in the first game of the USF Shootout Saturday, the East Carolina women's basketball team takes on tournament host and 2009 WNIT champion South Florida Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Sun Dome.
The Bulls enter the contest with an 8-3 record after dispatching N.C. Central 79-37 in Saturday's second game. Melissa Dalembert led USF with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Sequoyah Griffin added 16, including four makes from beyond the arc.
The Lady Pirates are now 9-1 for the third time in program history and first since the 1971-72 season. Additionally, ECU scored over 100 points for the first time since a quadruple overtime loss to No. 24 TCU in 2004.
The 103 points matched the seventh-most in a single game in program history, as the team scored 103 in a 103-40 win over Appalachian State March 3, 1981. East Carolina has now scored at least 100 points in a game 18 times.
Every player on the 2009-10 roster scored in the contest, as senior transfer Caitlin Thys scored her first four points as a Lady Pirate.
Three East Carolina players scored in double figures, led by Clarke's 15. Smith and Crystal Wilson added 14 and 10, respectively. Rookie Shala Hodges also produced her highest out-put as a Lady Pirate, scoring nine points. Ariana Jackson pulled down a team-best five rebounds, as every player on the roster recorded a rebound. Additionally, Spivey distributed a team-high six assists.
ECU shot the ball exceptionally well, making 40 of its 65 field goal attempts to shoot 61.5 percent, the second time this season that the team has reached the 60 percent mark (.600 against VCU). The Lady Pirates also held the edge on the glass, corralling 40 rebounds as opposed to 29 for the Huskies, as well as assists (28-6) and steals (21-9).
East Carolina fared well in the miscellaneous statistics as well, scoring 51 points in the paint, 47 off of turnovers, 19 on the fast break and 58 off the bench. The Lady Pirates also forced 33 HBU turnovers.
