Pirates Open Carolinas Challenge Against Jacksonville

Dec. 15, 2011

vs.

East Carolina vs. Jacksonville
Dec. 18, 2011 | 1 p.m. ET
Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Myrtle Beach Convention Center)
TV: None

Game Notes | Tickets | Gameday Central

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - East Carolina begins a five-game stretch away from home Sunday, facing Jacksonville in the 2011 Crescent Bank Carolinas Challenge at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Tipoff between the Pirates and Dolphins is scheduled for 1 p.m.

ECU (5-3) looks to rebound from a 62-49 loss to VCU which snapped a three-game winning streak. Sophomore forward Kristine Mial led East Carolina offensively for the second-straight game, scoring 17 points while adding three assists, two blocks and two steals. She also knocked down a pair of three-point field goals. Leading scorer and junior Shala Hodges was 6-for-6 from the free throw line to end up with nine points. Freshman Tatiana Chapple pulled down seven rebounds to complement six from junior Britny Edwards.

VCU (5-3) drained nearly half of its attempts from the field, firing at a 48-percent clip (29-of-60). Meanwhile, East Carolina managed just 34 percent for the game, including a cold 29-percent showing in the second half. Led by Hurt's 12 rebounds, the Rams ended up with a 41-30 advantage and recorded 17 on the offensive glass. The Pirates also reached double figures with 12 offensive boards. Using its size advantage down low, VCU outscored ECU in paint 42-22.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville (1-8) picked up its first win of the season Thursday, downing Jacksonville State by a 87-74 count. Sophomore Jade Cargill scored a career-best 21 points while also pulling down seven boards and recording four steals to help the Dolphins (1-8) break their winless drought. Senior Crystal Bell added 14 points of JU's 33 points off the bench.

Junior Maggie Wilson and Ciara McLee each finished with 13 points as the Dolphins shot a season-best 55.6 (35-63) from the floor. They also hit 11 of 17 from the free throw line and had 33-6 advantage in fast-break points.

The Series: Jacksonville
Sunday's meeting marks the first between the Pirates and Dolphins.

ECU Against The Atlantic Sun Conference
East Carolina holds an all-time mark of 11-4 (.733) against the current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Pirates have squared off against Belmont (1-1), East Tennessee State (7-1), Mercer (2-1) and Stetson but have never faced Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, North Florida or USC Upstate.

Nationally Ranked
With the third release of the national statisitics rankings, East Carolina finds itself pretty high on the list in a few categories. The Pirates are first in steals per game, fourth in scoring defense, 11th in turnover margin and 17th in scoring margin. Additionally, senior Bryelle Smith sits 42nd in assist to turnover ratio.

Mial Dials In
After a rough start to the campaign, sophomore and former JUCO All-America Kristine Mial has scored 33 points to go along with seven steals, six blocks and five assists in the last two contests. She also posted her first double-double in a Pirate uniform with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Monmouth.

Tenacious "D"
ECU has held each of its eight opponents to an average of 49 points per game after allowing 69.1 last season. The Pirates are also averaging 28.0 turnovers forced per contest.

Shala's Scoring Surge
After averaging just 4.5 points per game last season, junior Shala Hodges is poised to have a breakout year offensively. She is putting in a team-best 13.3 points per contest so far and netted a career-high 28 points against Virginia Intermont. Hodges also leads the team at the foul line, converting 26 of her 34 attempts.

(No) Nonsense November
In the last four seasons, the Pirates have fared well in the month of November, racking up an 18-7 ledger which includes a 5-2 mark this season and a 6-0 record in 2009-10.

Three Me
With five three-point field goals drained against VCU, East Carolina has made at least one triple in 50-straight games. The Pirates have knocked down two or more treys in each contest of the streak.

Double Trouble - Freshman Style
With her double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) against St. Andrew's, freshman forward Tatiana Chapple is the first ECU player to record a double-double in her rookie season since Jean Best scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds versus UCF on Feb. 15, 2009.

The Starting 10
It seems like the Pirate bench gets deeper with each passing season and is an extension of the starting five. East Carolina's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 80 of the last 101 contests.

When Making 30...
East Carolina converted 47 field goals against St. Andrew's, marking the 29th time since the start of the 2006-07 campaign that the Pirates have made 30 or more baskets in a single game.

Up Next For East Carolina After its exploits in Myrtle Beach, ECU will travel to College Park, Md., for the Terrapin Classic. The Pirates face nationally-ranked Delaware in their first contest before playing either Lafayette or the host Terrapins - also a ranked squad. The event is scheduled for Dec. 28-29 at the Comcast Center.


GENERAL INFORMATION
Date	December 18, 2011
Location	Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Myrtle Beach Convention Center)
TV	None
Twitter	http://www.twitter.com/ecuwomenshoops
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
Record	5-3
Ranking	NR
Last Game	L, 62-49 vs. VCU
Head Coach	Heather Macy
	Career Record: 136-57
	East Carolina Record: 21-18
JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS
Record	1-8
Ranking	NR
Last Game	W, 87-74 vs. Jacksonville State
Head Coach	Jill Dunn
	Career: 128-148
	Jacksonville Record: 104-115

Players Mentioned

Tatiana Chapple

Britny Edwards

Shala Hodges

Kristine Mial

Bryelle Smith

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