Pirates Set To Face UMass Challenge
December 05, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2011
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| East Carolina vs. Massachusetts Dec. 6, 2011 | 7 p.m. ET Greenville, N.C. TV: None |
 Watch |  Gametracker |  Game Notes |  Tickets |  Gameday Central |
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THE LATEST NEWS & NOTES
? East Carolina will look to snap a two-game skid Tuesday night when it faces the University of Massachusetts for the first time. The Minutemen will be the Pirates' second consecutive foe from the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is also home to ECU's previous opponent, Charlotte.
?East Carolina is just 1-7 against Atlantic 10 members since the 2006-07 season (Charlotte 1-3, George Washington 0-2, Richmond 0-2).
?The Pirates and Minutemen each rank among the top 5 in the country in steals per game. UMass ranks second with 11.22 steals per contest, while ECU is fifth with 10.71. UMass leads the nation in total steals with 101.
?East Carolina is averaging 7.9 3-point field goals per game, tops in Conference USA. The Pirates sank 10 Saturday night against Charlotte, three shy of its season-high of 13 against Milligan College in the season-opener.
?In its four games against Division I opponents, ECU is averaging 65.8 points and shooting 37.4 percent from the floor, while allowing 65.5 points and its opponents to shoot 42.3 percent.
?Junior Miguel Paul scored a career-high 22 points against Charlotte on Saturday; it was his third 20-point game of the season. Paul (17.0 ppg) ranks second in the conference in scoring and has led ECU in scoring five times this season. Paul leads C-USA in assists (5.9) and steals (2.1) per game.
?Senior Darrius Morrow is 15 points shy of 10th-place on the school's all-time scoring list. He has tallied 1,174 points in 99 career games. He needs just four points to surpass Blue Edwards and move into 11th place.
?Junior Shamarr Bowden is 7-of-13 from behind the arc the last two games, after going 3-for-15 from outside the 3-point line in the previous four games. He has scored double figures in each of the past two games.
? Sophomore Robert Sampson leads the Pirates in rebounding with 7.0 boards per game, coming off a career-high tying 11-rebound performance against Charlotte. He has one double-double and two double-digit rebounding games this season.
UP NEXT
? East Carolina will take 10 days for final exams before returning to the court to take on UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum on Dec. 16. The Pirates have won four straight in the series and hold a 7-2 series advanatge.
QUICK SHOTS
?East Carolina led at halftime in each of its first five games, but has trailed at the break in each of the last two games ... The Pirates have had at least three players score double figures in five games
? ECU has allowed 30 or less points in eight of 14 halves played this season
? Shamarr Bowden is 10-of-16 from the floor the past two games
? Erin Straughn has scored double figures in three of the first seven games; he only scored double digits in five games all of last season
? The Pirates lead Conference USA in steals (10.7) and 3-point field goals made (7.9), while ranking second in scoring margin (+12.3) and 3-point field goal defense (.269)
? Miguel Paul ranks among the top 5 in six Conference USA individual categories
? He also has C-USA player single-game highs this season for free throws made (13)
? Bowden and Paul are among eight players in C-USA shooting over 40-percent from behind the arc
? Darrius Morrow stands two made free throws from 400 for his career
? Four players are shooting 70 percent or better at the free throw line this season and three are shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc
SERIES HISTORY
? Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between East Carolina and UMass.
SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA
? After posting their first 50-percent shooting performance of the season against Chowan, the Pirates have recorded consecutive less than 35-percent shooting games. ECU is just 49-of-126 (.325) combined from the floor in its last two games against Old Dominion and Charlotte. Junior Miguel Paul is just 9-for-38 in those games, while senior Darrius Morrow was held scoreless for the first time in his career Saturday night by the 49ers. However, ECU still ranks among the Conference USA leaders in 3-point field goals per game (7.9) and tops the league in steals per game (10.7). Paul (17.0 ppg) and Morrow (12.4 ppg) are the only players averaging double figures with five other averaging over 5.5 ppg.
SCOUTING MASSACHUSETTS
? The Minutemen are coming off an eight-point loss at Miami (Fla.) on Saturday night. UMass opened the season with four straight wins, but have alternated wins and losses in each of its last five games. They are 1-1 on the road this year with the aforementioned loss to Miami and a win over Boston College. Five-foot-9 guard Chaz Williams is the lone player on the team to average double figures this season and also leads the Minutemen in 3-point field goal percentage, free throw shooting, assists and steals. He has led UMass in scoring four times this season with a pair of 20-point performances. The Minutemen ranks among the NCAA leaders in steals with 11.2 per games, forcing nearly 20 (19.9) turnovers in the process.
