Women's Hoops Hosts UAB Thursday
January 26, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2011
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ECU Women's Basketball Gameday Central
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET • Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011
Location: Minges Coliseum (8,000) • Greenville, N.C.
Series History: East Carolina leads, 11-7
Last Time Against UAB: L, 65-57 (2/25/10 at Birmingham, Ala.)
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's basketball team attempts to pick up its second league win of the year when it plays host to UAB Thursday at 7 p.m. Free admission will be offered to fans who donate a canned good.
Like the Pirates, the Blazers have just one C-USA victory this season as ECU looks to win its fourth-straight against UAB at Minges Coliseum. The Pirates have taken five of the last six meetings, but the Blazers captured the latest affair - a 65-57 decision in Birmingham last February. UAB reached the championship game of the 2010 C-USA Tournament, but has had to deal with the recent departure of leading scorer and reigning league freshman-of-the-year Jala Harris.
East Carolina is hoping to get back in the win column after dropping a 70-67 overtime decision to Southern Miss Sunday in Hattiesburg. The Pirates have now lost three-straight at Reed Green Coliseum and had a five-game overtime winning streak snapped.
The ECU post players each turned in solid efforts as Kim Gay, Chareya Smith and Jean Best netted 14 points apiece. Sophomore Elaine Morgan also had a career day on the glass, plucking a personal-best seven boards while Ashley Clarke handed out a squad-high five assists.
The Pirates were done in by a 35-percent shooting performance overall, but hit 44 percent after halftime to mount the rally. ECU did, however, win the rebounding battle for the third-straight game as they out-boarded the home team 48-35. The Pirates also picked up a season-high 25 offensive rebounds for 19 second-chance points. It was a dead heat in the paint with the Golden Eagles holding a slight 36-32 advantage. Additionally, East Carolina received 27 points from the bench while the home team scored all of its points via its five starters.
ABOUT US...
The Pirates are 7-11 overall entering the contest as well as 1-4 in C-USA action. The ECU post players enjoyed a solid performance as Jean Best, Kim Gay and Chareya Smith combined for 42 points and 16 rebounds. After scoring 67 points against Southern Miss in a 70-67 overtime loss last time out, ECU still resides near the top of the league in scoring offense with 73.4 points per game, but gives up almost as many at 72.9 a contest. The Pirates have improved their rebounding margin as of late, trimming a mark which was once seven into the negative to a -1.8. In league play, free throw shooting has been a bright spot, as East Carolina has hit 81 of its 107 attempts for a C-USA-best 75.7 percentage. The Pirates also look for the return of sophomore Ariana Jackson, who was averaging 16 points and eight rebounds in her first two C-USA games.
ABOUT THEM...
UAB enters the game at 9-10 overall and 1-5 in C-USA play after falling at Rice 58-52 Sunday. In Harris' absence, Amber Jones has taken over the scoring for the Blazers, averaging 10.6 points per game while senior Megan Brown is UAB's top rebounder at a 5.7 clip. The Blazers sport seven players who play over 20 minutes a contest, with senior Amanda Peterson receiving 29.1. She is also UAB's career leader in three-point field goals and has 44 to her credit in 2010-11. In terms of shooting percentage, the Blazers are at 37 percent from the field, 30 percent from beyond the arc and 58 percent at the charity stripe. Opponents are out-rebounding UAB by 1.3 per game (37.9-36.6). The Blazers are a stingy defensive club, giving up just 58.7 points per game.
THE LAST MEETING (February 25, 2010)...
The East Carolina women's basketball team held as much as an eight-point lead in the second half, but UAB did just enough to earn a 65-57 victory at Bartow Arena. Kelly Smith led the charge with 13 points for ECU while Jean Best pulled down eight rebounds. Clarke also dished out a team-high three assists. The Blazers shot the ball at 38.2 percent while holding the Lady Pirates to just 30 percent. East Carolina did however hold a 42-37 advantage on the glass and an 11-8 margin in assists. UAB led by nine, 32-23 at halftime.
CONFERENCE USA: THE 10TH SEASON...
East Carolina is in its 10th year as a basketball member of C-USA. Starting in 2001, the Pirates became eligible to compete for the league title after contributing 17 years as a constituent of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Four years ago, ECU finished third in the regular season standings, its highest ranking since joining the conference. The Pirates also notched their first league tournament title with 79-70 triumph over Rice in the 2007 championship game at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla.
SUCCESS CLOSER TO HOME...
Since Conference USA split into East and West divisions before the 2005-06 campaign, ECU has fared much better against its eastern neighbors. In five seasons, the Pirates have recorded a 42-28 (.600) mark against the eastern members while producing a 17-31 (.354) ledger vs. the western side.
THE PATH TO 600...
East Carolina is just six wins away from recording its 600th victory in program history.
AMONG THE NATIONAL ELITE...
In the latest release of the national rankings, ECU finds itself among the top 90 in a few categories. The Pirates are 29th in steals per game, 34th in scoring offense, 81st in three-point field goal defense and 88th in turnover margin. Individually, Ashley Clarke is 35th in steals per game.
GETTING ON THE GLASS...
In the last three games, ECU has out-rebounded its opponent by an average of 11 (138-105) and have picked up 16 more offensive rebounds overall. In the three prior contests, opponents enjoyed a +9.7 margin - including five more offensive boards.
BEING MORE STINGY WITH THE FREEBIES...
In their first three league games, the Pirates committed 88 personal fouls which led to 124 free throw attempts for their opponents. However, in the last two contests, Rice and Southern Miss combined for just 31 attempts while ECU shot 38 of its own.
PIRATES ROLL DEEP...
ECU is currently on a 17-game streak in which at least one player off the bench has scored in double figures. In fact, in the contests against UNC Wilmington, Virginia Union, Prarie View A&M, Memphis and Rice, two players that did not start netted at least 10 points.
ECU BENEFITS FROM JEAN'S BEST...
Jean Best has scored in double figures five times this season. In those games, the Pirates hold a 2-3 record with two if the losses against No. 8 UCLA and at defending league champion Tulane.
ON THEIR WAY TO SEE THE PIRATES PLAY...
East Carolina is on track to lead Conference USA in attendance for the third-straight season, having drawn an average of 1,825 fans to Minges Coliseum. In the latest release of the national attendance figures, the Pirates check in at 74th, ahead of teams such as Oregon, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Missouri and Syracuse.
ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE...
The Pirates have taken on some of the nation's best this season. According to realtimerpi.com, ECU's slate is ranked as the 29th-toughest in the country. Among the teams the Pirates have faced are Maryland (13), UCLA (14), Charlotte (60) and UNC Wilmington (72). East Carolina also suffered close losses to Hampton (110) and American (116).
SIGNED AND SEALED...
The Pirates have signed two top 65 position recruits in Courtney Melvin and Ja'Nesha Ebron as well as the No. 102 ranked forward from Columbus, Ohio, Tatiana Chapple. Melvin was ranked the No. 31 post player in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz while Ebron was tabbed No. 61 among guards by the same website. Both signees have North Carolina state championship game experience, as Melvin has led East Bladen High School to the last two title games (1A and 2A) and Ebron helped South Central to a 3A championship appearance. Current assistant coach Ann Hancock holds the scoring record at East Bladen with 2,276 but Melvin started the season just 547 points away from tying Hancock.
YOU'LL GET TO PLAY...
It seems like the Pirate bench gets deeper with each passing season and is an extension of the starting five. There is some truth to that statement, as East Carolina's bench has outscored its opponents' benches in 66 of the last 82 games and 15 of 18 this year.
SHARING IS CARING...
The Pirates recorded 28 assists on 36 made field goals against Massachusetts. It was just seven shy of the school record and the most since ECU tallied the same number against Houston-Baptist last season. Additionally, the Pirates turned the ball over just nine times for a stellar assist/turnover ratio of 3.1. The nine miscues were the fewest since Nov. 25, 2005 when East Carolina also recorded nine in a 71-68 overtime victory over Ohio University.
THREE ME...
In hitting 12 three-point field goals against Virginia Union, the Pirates established a new program single-game record. However, just six days later, ECU did one better with 13 vs. Massachusetts then did it again against Florida A&M in Iowa. With one triple vs. Rice, senior Allison Spivey remained second on the program career chart and is now six away from sole possession of first-place.
THE GOOD KIND OF OFFENSIVE...
ECU owns the top two offensive outputs among C-USA teams this season with 102 points against Virginia Union and 97 vs. Massachusetts. The Pirates also boast one of the two highest single-game assist totals - 28 against the Minutewomen.
FREE THROWS DO INDEED WIN BALLGAMES...
In eight of the last 10 games, ECU has hit over 70 percent of its free throw attempts. The Pirates put up a season-best 94-percent performance at Tulane, knocking down 16 of 17 from the charity stripe. In C-USA games, ECU leads the league with a 76-percent mark.
UP NEXT FOR THE PIRATES...
ECU closes its quick two-game homestand Sunday, welcoming UCF to Minges Coliseum at 1 p.m. The contest is part of alumni weekend as many former players will return to Greenville Sunday for an alumni game at 10 a.m. - also at Minges Coliseum with free admission.
