East Carolina University
St. Andrews
Late Heroics Lift ECU OVer St. Andrews
December 19, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2009
Mack McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference 
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Junior Brock Young hit a layup with 57 seconds left to break a 68-all tie and lift East Carolina to a 74-69 win over Division II St. Andrews inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Saturday night.
The Pirates (5-6) trailed by four with 9:36 remaining but scored 10 unanswered points and Darrius Morrow put the Pirates up 60-54 with 7:14 left to play. Morrow and Jamar Abrams both drew charges during the run that led to points on the other end.
Morrow scored eight straight points to give ECU its largest lead of the game, 65-57, with 5:53 left.
Marvin Jackson scored the next four points to cut ECU's lead in half before Zack Garst tied the game for the ninth time, 68-68, with 1:51 to play.
Young then missed a 3-pointer, but Morrow grabbed the offensive glass that allowed Young another chance to score the go-ahead basket. After Young put the Pirates ahead to stay, Garst was whistled for traveling and Jontae Sherrod hit a jump shot for a 72-68 lead with 16 seconds left.
Sherrod led the Pirates with 17 points, while Morrow finished with 15 points. Young and Abrams added 14 points apiece with Abrams yanking 10 boards for his first double-double of the season.
Abrams sank a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining after grabbing the rebound off a missed Marcus Connor free throw for the final margin of victory.
Morrow, Sherrod and Young along with Chris Turner were all involved in a two-car accident earlier in the day.None of the players were injured and Turner was the only one of the foursome that didn't play in the game.
Four starters scored double figures for the Knights (5-4) led by Jackson's game-high 18. Kurt Fenderbosch sank four 3-pointers and finished with 15 total points. Aaron Christian and Antonio Moffitt netted 10 points each.
Both teams shot the ball extremely well in the second half. ECU connected on 66.7 percent (16-24) of its second half field goal attempts and St. Andrews converted 57.1 percent (12-21) of their shots.
The Pirates forced the Knights into nine second half turnovers and scored 18 points off those miscues.
Neither team led by more than four points in the first half, which ended tied at 28-all. The Knights grabbed eight offensive rebounds which translated into 10 points, while being out-rebounded by only one. There were three ties and 10 lead changes prior to halftime.
ECU will return to action Tuesday, Dec. 22, against George Washington. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
