East Carolina University
Marshall
Pirates Outlast Marshall, 48-44
February 27, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2011
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Postgame Comments | Game Highlights
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina won its seventh-straight home game Sunday, winning a defensive struggle 48-44 over Marshall at Minges Coliseum. The Pirates sweep the season series with the Herd and improve to 14-14 overall as well as 8-7 in league play - the first time this season the team has sported a winning C-USA ledger.
A crowd of 2,861 took in the contest, the 10th-largest attendance number in program history.
With the triumph, ECU finished 7-1 at home in conference action, matching the 2008-09 season's squad. The Pirates have also ended up victorious in 20 of their last 24 league affairs at Minges Coliseum.
The 48 points represent the lowest output in a victory since East Carolina knocked off UAB 47-46 in the first round of the 2006 C-USA Tournament.
Junior Jean Best notched her first double-double of the season, scoring 11 points to go along with 12 rebounds while senior Kim Gay scored in double figures for the 14th-straight time - matching Best with 11.Additionally, Allison Spivey contributed 10 points and Crystal Wilson handed out a team-best four assists to go along with three steals.
East Carolina knocked down just 33 percent of its attempts from the field but limited Marshall to 31 percent as the Herd also went only 9-for-20 from the free throw line. Conversely, the Pirates drained nine of their 12 charity tosses. Marshall won the battle of the boards by just one, 40-39.
Both teams committed 19 turnovers with ECU taking advantage and scoring 12 points off the miscues. The Pirates also held the Herd to no bench points while netting 19 from its non-starters. The win also marked the first time this campaign that ECU won after trailing at the half.
Ashley Clarke gave East Carolina an 11-4 advantage with a jumper at the 13:54 mark, but Marshall responded with eight-straight to take a one-point cushion. Gay and Wilson would hit back-to-back threes before Best dropped in a layup, pushing the Pirates in front by five, 19-14, with 5:20 remaining in the half.
That would be the last time ECU would score in the period, as the Herd managed six points to assume a one-point halftime advantage.
The numbers were a dead heat in the first 20 minutes as the Pirates had the better of the shooting 32 percent to 30 but Marshall had the upper hand in rebounding 20-18. Best pulled down seven boards to pace East Carolina while Gay collected a team-high seven points to highlight the Pirates' first-half performance.
The Herd received a jumper from Tynikki Crook on the first possession of the second period, taking its largest lead at three, but Spivey knocked down two free throws to give ECU the lead for good at the 15:49 mark.
Veronica Ruiz made it a one-point contest with 10:10 remaining when she hit a mid-range jumper, but the Pirates rattled off a 9-2 run to create some breathing room at 38-30.
East Carolina attempted to stifle Marshall's numerous attempts to rally for the final eight minutes, but the Herd cut the lead to four with 44 seconds remaining when Alaya Mitchell hit one of two free throws. Marshall had four looks at the basket in the ensuing possession after Spivey missed a free throw, but could not get a shot to go down.
Mitchell converted another free throw with five seconds remaining to make it a one possession game at 47-44, but Wilson answered with one of her own to seal the Pirate win.
ECU has just one regular-season contest remaining, Thursday at UAB, but can still finish anywhere from fourth to seventh-place depending on other league results. Tipoff from Bartow Arena is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
