East Carolina University
Southern Miss
East Carolina Falls To Southern Miss On Road, 68-53
January 23, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2010
HATTIESBURG, MISS. --- Gary Flowers scored 14 points to lead a quartet of Golden Eagles in double figures as Southern Miss defeated East Carolina 68-53 at Reed Green Coliseum Saturday night.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Golden Eagles (11-8, 1-4 Conference USA), while the Pirates (6-13, 0-5) lost their fifth game in-a-row.
Jamar Abrams was the only Pirate to score double figures and finished with a game-high 18 points. Freshman Corvonn Gaines, who made his first career start, dropped in a career-high nine points.
Torye Pelham and R.L. Horton each came off the bench to net 12 for USM, while Buchi Awaji added nine.
The first half was a seesaw affair with both teams exchanging the lead seven times in the first seven minutes. With the game knotted a 16-all, ECU went on an 8-2 spurt to take a six-point lead, the largest advantage of the half by either team, with 3:33 remaining. Gaines' layup broke the tie and his first 3 of the year pushed it the lead further.
The Golden Eagles outscored the Pirates 10-2 over the final three minutes of the half to take a 28-26 halftime lead. Pelham scored four straight points to tie the game at 26 before Horton put USM ahead with 40 seconds left.
Abrams sank consecutive 3s to start the second half as the Pirates reclaimed the lead less than four minutes in. With the game tied at 34-all, Wynn, Young and Abrams each scored to give ECU a 40-34 lead.
The Golden Eagles proceeded to outscor the Pirates 24-7 over the next nine minutes to take a 59-47 lead with less than four minutes to play. Awaji's 3-pointer with 9:43 to play put Southern Miss up 44-42 and gave it the lead that it never relinquished.
USM scored 18 second chance points in the second half, securing 12 second half offensive rebounds. The Golden Eagles out-rebounded the Pirates 34-21 for the game and dominated play on the interior with 42 points in the paint.
Both teams shot the ball at nearly 50 percent clip. USM finished the game 26-of-54 (48.1 percent) and ECU connected on 20-of-42 field goal attempts (47.6 percent).
The Pirates will look to end their five-game skid tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 24, at Tulane. Game time is set for 3 p.m. EST at Fogelman Arena in New Orleans.
