East Carolina University
Lenoir-Rhyne
Outside Shooting Leads Pirates Past Bears
November 24, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2010
Box Score | 
Coach Lebo's Comments l Player Comments
Complete Box Score in PDF Format 
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina didn't particularly take good care of the basketball Wednesday night, but fortunately it didn't have to.
The Pirates (4-2) used their outside shooting and hard-nosed defense to defeat Division II Lenoir-Rhyne (1-3), 71-48, inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
Seven players combined to sink 11-of-23 3-point field goals, including 8-of-13 in the first half. Brock Young tied his career-high with a trio of triples. Jontae Sherrod and Petar Torlak made two apiece.
Sherrod led all scorers with a game-high 14 points, while Young added 11 points. Jamar Abrams and Corvonn Gaines scored nine points each.
The 3-point showcase got off to a great start as Sherrod sank ECU's first attempt of the game. The Pirates scored the game's first five points before the Bears ran off six unanswered to take the lead. LRC held an 8-7 advantage with 13:49 to play before the ECU shooting spree began.
Four of the Pirates' next six baskets were 3-pointers as they outscored the Bears 17-5 over the next seven minutes to take an 11-point lead.
The Pirates then made three more 3-pointers in the final two minutes of the half to surge to an 18-point halftime cushion, 36-18.
ECU's eight first half 3-pointers were one more than Lenoir-Rhyne's total number of made field goals. The Pirates held their opponent to just 26 percent shooting in the first half and forced nine turnovers.
While the Pirates had their own problems taking care of the basketball, turning it over 10 times in the first 20 minutes, they were able to capitalize on the Bears' miscues for 13 points.
The Pirates finished the game with 19 turnovers compared to 16 by the Bears. ECU scored 21 points off turnovers while LRC netted 16 points of Pirate errors.
The second half began much-like the first ended with ECU blitzing LRC with an 11-3 spurt in the first three minutes to jump out to a 26 point lead.
The Bears put together an 11-2 run of their own, making three consecutive 3-point shots, to pull within 17 with 13:29 to play.
Withstanding the run, ECU pushed its lead back out to 27 points, 70-43, with 3:37 on a Darius Morales lay-up.
R.J. McClure led the Bears with eight points.
ECU returns to action Saturday, Nov. 27, against UNC Greensboro. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start in Greenville.
