Pirates Begin Westward Swing At UTEP
January 17, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2012
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| East Carolina vs. UTEP Jan. 18, 2012 | 9 p.m. EST El Paso, Texas TV: None |
 Watch |  Live Stats |  Game Notes |  Tickets |  Gameday Central |
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THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME
? East Carolina will look to avoid its longest losing streak of the year Wednesday night when it travels to UTEP. The Pirates have lost three in a row and have yet to post a win this month.
? ECU has never beaten the Miners in El Paso, 0-3, but have recorded a pair of victories at the Don Haskins Center. The Pirates advanced to the semifinals of the Conference USA Championship last season with wins over UCF and UAB inside the Haskins Center before falling to Memphis.
? The Pirates are 4-18 on the road against members of Conference USA's West Division (Houston, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UTEP) since 2006. They were 1-2 on the road last night against West Division foes last year, defeating Rice after losing to SMU and Tulsa.
? UTEP (14.9) and East Carolina (14.5) rank one and two in Conference USA in assists per game as well as assist-to-turnover ratio (UTEP 1.1, ECU 1.0).
? Now in its 11th season in Conference USA, the Pirates will be looking to avoid their fifth 0-4 start in league play.
? The Pirates have shot less than 40 percent in each of the last two games and are winless this season (0-6) when failing to exceed the mark.
? Since league play began, East Carolina is shooting 85.4 percent (41-of-48) at the free throw line. Maurice Kemp (14-14) and Darrius Morrow (14-14) are both perfect from the charity stripe during the Pirates' first three C-USA contests.
? After holding its opponents to less than 30 points in 14 of 26 halves during non-conference play, ECU has yet to surrender fewer than 30 points in any half during C-USA games.
? East Carolina has not had the lead at any point over the last three games and has been in a tie with its opponent for only 15 seconds (against Southern Miss).
? Miguel Paul (17.7) and Darrius Morrow (17.3) are two of three players averaging over 17 points per game in league play. UAB senior Cameron Moore is the other, averaging 18.3 ppg.
WHO TO WATCH
? Senior Darrius Morrow has scored double figures in nine straight games, averaging 15.0 points per game and shooting 55.2 percent from the floor (48-of-87).
? Junior Maurice Kemp has posted a double-double in four of the last six games and scored double figures in nine consecutive games. Since being inserted into the starting lineup against UNC Greensboro, Kemp has averaged 15.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
? Junior Miguel Paul leads Conference USA in assists per game (5.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5). He has gone for 20 or more points five times this season and handed out more assists than committed turnovers in 14 games.
? Freshman Paris Roberts-Campbell seems to have found his stroke over the semester break. He has made 10-of-19 3-pointers during the past five games, scoring double figures twice. He netted 10 points against N.C. Central before torching the nets for 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting against Virginia-Wise, sinking a trio of 3-pointers.
SERIES HISTORY
? UTEP leads the all-time series, 4-2. The Pirates defeated the Miners in Greenville last season, 83-76. East Carolina is 0-3 against UTEP at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso.
LAST TIME OUT
? Jamar Abrams scored 25 points and Jontae Sherrod added 21 to lead East Carolina over UTEP, 83-76, to end a three-game losing streak. After taking two-point halftime lead on Abrams' second 3 of the half prior to the first half buzzer, the Pirates went 30-of-37 from the free throw line, along with shooting 45.5 percent from the field (10-of-22) in the second half. East Carolina was sent to the foul line 45 times, making 35. Sherrod was 15-of-17 from the free-throw line and Darrius Marrow, who scored 19 points, was 7-of-10 for the Pirates. The parade to the foul line began less than two minutes into the second half when UTEP coach Tim Floyd was whistled for his second technical foul and ejected from the game. Assistant coach Phil Johnson also received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game. East Carolina had scored the first six points of the half, before the UTEP bench was whistled for three technical foul 1:12 after halftime. ECU made 3-of-6 free throws to take a nine-point lead, 38-29, with 18:48 left. Following two additional personal fouls against the Miners, East Carolina was in the bonus with 18:14 to play and in the double bonus with 15:30 remaining. The Pirates led by 12 twice during the second half. UTEP cut the Pirates' lead to four, 63-59, with 7:28 to play, but Abrams and Sherrod combined to score the next seven points to push the lead back to double figures. The Miners got within five with 3:21 to play, but didn't get any closer. Randy Culpepper led the Miners with 22 points and Gabriel McCulley added 17.
UP NEXT
? East Carolina will travel to Houston Saturday to face the home standing Cougars. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. EST inside Hofheinz Pavilion.
