ECU Shoots For Fourth-Straight Win At Memphis
February 05, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2011
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ECU Women's Basketball Gameday Central
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET • Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011
Location: FedExForum (18,400) • Memphis, Tenn.
Series History: East Carolina leads, 10-7
Last Time Against Memphis: L, 87-75 (1/9/10 at Greenville, N.C.)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Victorious in three-straight games and four of its last five, East Carolina faces a tough road test Sunday when the Pirates travel to Memphis for a Super Bowl Sunday matinee with the Tigers at FedExForum. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET.
Memphis won the first contest between the schools this season, an 87-75 decision at Minges Coliseum Jan. 9. ECU has won three of the last four meetings and captured a 77-76 overtime victory at FedExForum last year near the end of the regular season. The Pirates are currently on their longest winning streak of the campaign.
Marshall's 43 points scored Thursday in a 61-43 victory for ECU are the least East Carolina has ever allowed in a Conference USA road contest. The previous mark was 52 by Southern Miss when the Pirates went down to Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg and won a 68-52 decision on Feb. 22, 2007.
ABOUT US...
The Pirates are 10-11 overall entering the contest as well as 4-4 in C-USA action. Senior Allison Spivey led the charge in the 61-43 win at Marshall, scoring 18 points and becoming the school's all-time leading three-point shooter after knocking down four against the Herd. ECU has made a commitment to defense lately, allowing just 58 points per game in its last five contests. In league play, free throw shooting has been a bright spot, as East Carolina has hit 125 of its 169 attempts for a C-USA-best 74.0 percentage. ECU has also picked up the rebounding in conference action, owning a +1.5 margin which included a 35-25 advantage in the Marshall affair. Additionally, the Pirates are using their depth to their advantage as a bench player has scored in double figures in 20-straight games.
ABOUT THEM...
Memphis enters the game at 16-6 overall and 5-3 in C-USA play after a 78-58 victory over Southern Miss a week ago. Memphis is also on a roll, having won three of its last four after consecutive losses to UTEP and UAB. Junior Brittany Carter, the league's leading scorer a year ago, is pacing the Tiger offense with 13.2 points per game while classmate Jasmine Lee is right behind at 12.6. Lee is also the top Memphis rebounder, pulling down boards at an 8.8 clip. The Tigers have warmed up from beyond the arc in league action, as they have hit a C-USA-best 40.3 percent of their three-point attempts. Memphis is also allowing just 61.2 points per game as far as conference play is concerned.
THE LAST MEETING (JANUARY 9, 2010)...
A late 10-2 run for East Carolina was not enough to overcome a 12-point second-half deficit Sunday, as Memphis captured an 87-75 Conference USA victory at Minges Coliseum. Sophomore Ariana Jackson netted 16 points for the second-straight game and led three ECU players in double figures as Crystal Wilson and Kim Gay dropped in 15 and 11, respectively. Gay, along with Ashley Clarke, pulled down a team-high six rebounds each while Clarke dished out six assists. The Tigers dominated the glass, pulling down 52 rebounds (21 offensive) and holding ECU to 33.
THE SERIES: MEMPHIS...
ECU and Memphis will meet for the 14th time in a series that began in 1980. East Carolina holds a 10-7 lead and has won three of the last four contests, including its first-ever triumph at FedExForum last season.
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.
SUCCESS CLOSER TO HOME...
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 45-28 (.616) mark against the eastern members while producing a 17-31 (.354) ledger vs. the western side.
ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE...
The Pirates have taken on some of the nation's best this season. According to realtimerpi.com, ECU's slate is ranked as the 57th-toughest in the country. Among the teams the Pirates have faced are UCLA (7), Maryland (10), Charlotte (47), UNC Wilmington (57), Tulane (81), Memphis (88), Hampton (91) and VCU (95).
SIGNED AND SEALED...
The Pirates have signed two top 65 position recruits in Courtney Melvin and Ja'Nesha Ebron as well as the No. 102 ranked forward from Columbus, Ohio, Tatiana Chapple. Melvin was ranked the No. 31 post player in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz while Ebron was tabbed No. 61 among guards by the same website. Both signees have North Carolina state championship game experience, as Melvin has led East Bladen High School to the last two title games (1A and 2A) and Ebron helped South Central to a 3A championship appearance. Current assistant coach Ann Hancock holds the scoring record at East Bladen with 2,276 but Melvin started the season just 547 points away from tying Hancock and is currently 17 away from the record.
SLOW STARTERS...
If the stats are any indication thus far, the Pirates can certainly call themselves a "second half" team. ECU has scored 814 points in the second 20 minutes as opposed to 700 in the first stanza.
TAKE THE LEAD AND RUN...
In 10 of their 11 losses, the Pirates have trailed at the half. Conversely, they have won nine games when leading at the break and one when the score was tied.
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 68 of the last 85 games and 17 of 21 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 Pirates also shared the ball well against UCF, registering 20 assists on 23 baskets and then again at Marshall with 19 helpers for 24 buckets.
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 four triples at Marshall senior Allison Spivey took over sole possession of first-place on the program ledger.
THE GOOD KIND OF OFFENSIVE...
ECU owns the top two offensive outputs among C-USA teams this season with 102 points against Virginia Union and 97 vs. Massachusetts. The Pirates also boast one of the two highest single-game assist totals - 28 against the Minutewomen.
FREE THROWS DO INDEED WIN BALLGAMES...
In nine of the last 12 games, ECU has hit over 70 percent of its free throw attempts. The Pirates put up a season and C-USA-best 94-percent performance at Tulane, knocking down 16 of 17 from the charity stripe. In C-USA games, East Carolina is tops in the league with a 74-percent mark.
THE PATH TO 600...
East Carolina is just three wins away from recording its 600th victory in program history.
GETTING ON THE GLASS...
In the last six games, ECU has out-rebounded its opponent by an average of 6.2 (253-216). In the three prior contests, opponents enjoyed a +9.7 margin - including five more offensive boards.
BEING MORE STINGY WITH THE FREEBIES...
In their first three league games, the Pirates committed 88 personal fouls which led to 124 free throw attempts for their opponents. However, in the last five contests, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UCF and Marshall have combined for just 81 attempts while ECU has shot 100 of its own.
PIRATES ROLL DEEP...
ECU is currently on an 20-game streak in which at least one player off the bench has scored in double figures. In fact, in the contests against UNC Wilmington, Virginia Union, Prarie View A&M, Memphis and Rice, two players that did not start netted at least 10 points.
ECU BENEFITS FROM JEAN'S BEST...
Jean Best has scored in double figures five times this season. In those games, the Pirates hold a 3-3 record with two if the losses against No. 8 UCLA and at defending C-USA champion Tulane.
ON THEIR WAY TO SEE THE PIRATES PLAY...
East Carolina is on track to lead Conference USA in attendance for the third-straight season, having drawn an average of 1,832 fans to Minges Coliseum. In the latest release of the national attendance figures, the Pirates check in at 77th, ahead of such teams as Alabama, UCLA, Colorado, Florida, California, Illinois, Missouri and Syracuse.
BIG CROWDS LEAD TO MINGES SUCCESS...
Since the start of the 2008-09 season, only SMU has been better than East Carolina at home in conference play. The Mustangs have a 17-3 record while the Pirates have racked up a 16-4 ledger.
WIRE TO WIRE...
In four of the Pirates' eight wins this season, they have led the entire game. Virginia Union, Massachusetts, Prairie View and UAB were the teams that could not manage a lead against ECU.
UP NEXT FOR THE PIRATES...
ECU returns home to Minges Coliseum Thursday for its second contest of the season against Southern Miss. In the teams' first meeting this year, the Golden Eagles managed to rally in the final minutes to force overtime, then took a 70-67 win at Reed Green Coliseum.
