| |
| East Carolina 71, Rice 68 |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
| |
1st
|
2nd
|
F
|
| East Carolina |
43 |
28 |
71 |
| Rice |
33 |
35 |
68 |
|
| |
| Quick Stats |
| Stats |
East Carolina |
Rice |
| FG (Made/Attempts) |
24-50 (.480) |
22-49 (.449) |
| 3P (Made/Attempts) |
14-27 (.519) |
7-19 (.368) |
| FT (Made/Attempts) |
9-15 (.600) |
17-25 (.680) |
|
| Rebounds (O-D) |
29 (11-18) |
30 (11-19) |
| Assists |
17 |
16 |
| Turnovers |
13 |
11 |
| Fouls (tech/flagrant) |
21 |
17 |
| Game Leaders |
| Stats |
East Carolina |
Rice |
| Points |
J. Abrams - 18 |
T. Jackson - 18 |
| Rebounds |
C. Gaines - 7 |
A. Kazemi - 11 |
| Assists |
B. Young - 9 |
C. Frizzelle - 5 |
| Steals |
Two tied - 2 |
L. Kuipers - 3 |
| Blocks |
D. Morrow - 2 |
A. Kazemi - 2 |
| |
| Pirate Basketball Central |
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From wire and staff reports
HOUSTON - Jontae Sherrod knocked down a deep 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds to play Saturday to lift East Carolina to a 71-68 victory over Rice.
The victory assures East Carolina of finishing no lower than eighth-place in the Conference USA regular season standings, giving the Pirates their highest seed ever at the Conference USA Championship in El Paso beginning March 9.
Sherrod's shot was one of a season-high 14 3-pointers for the Pirates (15-13, 7-7 Conference USA), with most of those coming at key junctures.
ECU built a 10-point halftime lead, 43-33, as it made 8-of-15 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes. Jamar Abrams and Erin Straughn each knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the opening stanza with Sherrod adding two.
The Pirates used a 13-5 run over the final 4:43 of the half to take its largest lead of the game into the locker room. The run began with consecutive 3s from Straughn and ended with back-to-back 3s by Sherrod.
ECU shot 55.6 percent from the floor (15-27) in the first half and finished shooting 48.0 percent for the game (24-50).
Rice (12-16, 4-10) also shot the ball extremely well before halftime connecting on 57.1 percent (12-21) of its attempts. The Owls also cooled off in the second half and finished at 44.9 percent from the field (22-49).
Rice battled back from a 10-point halftime deficit to pull within 50-48 on a 3 by Tamir Jackson with 12:59 remaining.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Abrams and Sherrod extended the Pirates' lead to 58-49 with 10:35 remaining.
Abrams hit another trey after Rice had tied the game at 65, but the Owls' Lucas Kuipers answered with a 3-pointer of his own with 34 seconds left to tie the game 68-68, setting up Sherrod's game-winner.
Abrams had 18 points and Sherrod 17 for East Carolina, which attempted 27 3-pointers in the game. Brock Young dished nine assists and didn't commit a turnover in 30 minutes of action.
Jackson led Rice with 18 points, and Kuipers had 15. Arsalan Kazemi added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
ECU returns to action Wednesday, March 2, against Memphis inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. It will be the final home game of the season and final home game for four ECU seniors: Abrams. Sherrod, Chad Wynn and Young.
