Pirates Continue C-USA Play Against Memphis
January 08, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2011
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET • Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011
Location: Minges Coliseum (8,000) • Greenville, N.C.
Series History: ECU leads, 10-6
Last Time Against Memphis: W, 73-66 at 2010 C-USA Tournament (3/8/10)
Gametracker | Watch Live | Game Notes 
ECU Women's Basketball Gameday Central
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After over a month away from home, the East Carolina women's basketball team returns to Minges Coliseum Sunday for a 1 p.m. contest against C-USA rival Memphis. The tilt marks the 1,100th game in program history.
The Pirates have played five contests away from home during the stretch, traveling to Hawai'i, Iowa and Texas. ECU was 2-3 in those games, with one loss against then No. 9 UCLA at the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Shootout. East Carolina looks to continue a recent string of home success against conference foes, having won 13 of its last 16 dating back to the beginning of the 2008-09 league season.
ABOUT EAST CAROLINA...
The Pirates are 6-8 overall entering the contest as well as 0-1 in C-USA action. Sophomore Ariana Jackson posted her second career double-double in the loss at UTEP with 16 points and a career-high matching 12 rebounds. Three other ECU players scored in double figures but the Pirates were done in by the Miners at the free throw line as UTEP was awarded a program-record 54 free throw attempts, making 40 of them. The 54 tries were just six less than East Carolina's total attempts from the field. Ashley Clarke and Kim Gay pace the offense overall, scoring 11.5 and 11.4 points per game, respectively. Gay also leads the squad in rebounding at a 6.2 per contest clip. With two triples made against the Miners, Allison Spivey upped her career total to 181 and is just nine away from taking over sole possession of first on the program ledger.
A LOOK AT MEMPHIS...
Memphis heads to Greenville with an impressive 12-3 record after defeating Marshall 74-54 in its C-USA opener at the FedExForum Thursday. After beginning the season with three wins in six games, the Tigers are on a roll, having won nine-straight - including five at home. Brittany Carter, an All-C-USA Preseason Team member, is scoring 13.5 points per game while Georgia transfer Jasmine Lee is pulling down a team-best 8.6 rebounds per contest. Memphis is shooting just over 40 percent from the field, 27 percent beyond the arc and 61 percent from the line. The Tigers average 65.2 points per game but are stingy on defense, allowing just 58.5. Memphis is also an aggressive defensive team, having pocketed 180 steals (12.0 average).
THE LAST MEETING (MARCH 8, 2010)...
The fifth-seeded East Carolina women's basketball team found itself down five with six minutes left to No. 4 seed Memphis, but rallied with a game-ending 19-7 run to post a 73-67 victory in the second quarterfinal of the 2010 GMC Sierra Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship. The Pirates produced a balanced offensive attack that saw five players score at least nine points, including a 14-point, 10-rebound and two-block performance by sophomore Jean Best - her first double-double of the season.
THE SERIES: MEMPHIS...
ECU and Memphis will meet for the 17th time in a series that dates back to 2002. The Pirates own a 10-6 record against the Tigers and havewon three-straight contests against them, including a 73-66 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2010 C-USA Tournament. The Pirates have won six of the seven games played at Minges Coliseum.
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.
SLOW STARTERS...
In six of its last seven contests, East Carolina has scored more points in the second half than the first. Overall, the second period has been more productive as the Pirates have netted 562 as compared to 490 in the first stanza.
TAKE THE LEAD AND RUN...
In all eight of their losses, the Pirates have trailed at the half. Conversely, they have won five games when leading at the break and one when the score was tied.
INTO THE WEST...
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 42-27 (.609) mark against the eastern members while producing a 16-30 (.348) ledger vs. the western side.
ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE...
The Pirates took on some of the nation's best this season in nonconference play. According to realtimerpi.com, ECU's slate was ranked as the 51st-toughest in the country. Among the teams the Pirates faced were Maryland (9), UCLA (18), Charlotte (44) and UNC Wilmington (65). East Carolina also suffered close losses to Hampton (112) and American (115) while picking up victories over Prairie View A&M (119) and Western Carolina (133).
AMONG THE NATIONAL ELITE...
In the latest release of the national rankings, ECU finds itself among the top 50 in a few categories. The Pirates are 27th in steals per game, 33rd in scoring offense and 39th in turnover margin. Individually, Ashley Clarke is 17th in steals per game.
ALL IT TAKES IS 30...
East Carolina converted 31 field goals against Florida A&M, marking the 26th time since the start of the 2006-07 campaign that the Pirates have accomplished the feat.
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 62 of the last 78 games and 11 of 14 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 two triples at UTEP, senior Allison Spivey took over second on the program career chart and is now nine away from sole possession of first-place.
THE PATH TO 600...
East Carolina is just seven wins away from recording its 600th victory in program history.
UP NEXT FOR THE PIRATES...
ECU plays its second road game in conference play Thursday, traveling to New Orleans to face defending C-USA regular season and tournament champion Tulane at Fogelman Arena. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET
