Pirates Set To Open C-USA Play At Southern Miss
January 03, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2012
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| East Carolina vs. Southern Miss Jan. 4, 2012 | 8 p.m. EST Hattiesburg, Miss. TV: None |
 Watch |  Live Stats |  Game Notes |  Tickets |  Gameday Central |
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THE LATEST NEWS & NOTES
? East Carolina and Southern Miss enter their Conference USA opener with extended winning streak. The Pirates have won five in-a-row, while the Golden Eagles have posted nine straight victories.
?Southern Miss is undefeated at home this season (7-0), while East Carolina is 1-2 on the road with a win over UNC Greensboro and losses at Campbell and Old Dominion.
?During its current five-game winning streak, ECU has four players averaging double figures: Maurice Kemp (16.8), Miguel Paul (14.8), Darrius Morrow (14.0) and Shamarr Bowden (10.6).
?The Pirates (7.2) and Golden Eagles (7.0) rank two and three in Conference USA in 3-point field goals per game. ECU leads the league in 3-point field goal defense (.270), while Southern Miss is second in 3-point field goal percentage (.387).
?ECU is coming off its best shooting performance of the season, 58.5 percent. The Pirates have shot over 40 percent in five straight games after shooting less than 36 percent in three consecutive.
?At least one player has grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of the last nine games for East Carolina. Maurice Kemp has done it four times.
?Four different players have led East Carolina in scoring the last four games.
WHO TO WATCH
? Since being held scoreless against Charlotte, senior Darrius Morrow has scored double figures in six straight games, averaging 13.8 points per game and shooting 52.7 percent from the floor (29-of-55).
? Junior Maurice Kemp has posted a double-double in each of the last three games and scored double figures in six consecutive games. Since being inserted into the starting lineup against UNC Greensboro, Kemp has averaged 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
? Since being inserted into the starting lineup versus UNCG, junior Shamarr Bowden has found his shooting stroke from behind the arc, connecting on 50 percent (15-30) of his 3-point attempts. He scored double figures in three straight games before being shutout against Virginia-Wise, taking just two shots in limited minutes.
? Junior Miguel Paul scored a career-high 25 points against NC Central on Thursday, topping the 20-point plateau for the fourth time this season. Since going a combined 1-for-9 at the free throw line against Charlotte and UMass, Paul is 28-of-31 at the charity stripe the last four games.
? Freshman Paris Roberts-Campbell has come off the bench to score double figures in each of the last two games. 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
? Southern Miss leads the all-time series, 10-7. After winning the first six meetings in the series, the Pirates have lost 10 of their last 11 games against the Golden Eagles, including five in a row. ECU is looking to end a six-game losing streak in Hattiesburg.
CONFERENCE USA OPENERS
? The Pirates are beginning their 11th season as a basketball-playing member of Conference USA. They are 2-8 in league lid-lifters with both of their wins coming at home (2002-03 Marquette, 2008-09 Tulane).
?East Carolina is opening Conference USA play on the road for the third straight season and for the fifth-time as a league member. The Pirates are winless when opening C-USA on the road (0-4).
?ECU is facing Southern Miss in its C-USA opener for the first time. The Pirates have open league play against Memphis more than any other opponent, three times (2006, 2008, 2010).
MORROW CLOSING IN ON FREE THROW MARK
? Senior Darrius Morrow is just seven made free throws shy of tying Brock Young's ECU career record of 630. Morrow has made 623 free throws in 105 games. He already holds the school record for most free throws attempted in a career (643). He needs to make 14 free throws to move into the top 10 in Conference USA history.
ECU PLUNDERING ON DEFENSE
? East Carolina ranks 10th nationally in steals per game (9.6) according to the latest NCAA statistics published on Jan. 2. The Pirates lead Conference USA in that category and have recorded a total of 125 through the first 13 games. NCAA Steals Per Game Leaders
SEE YOU AGAIN SOON
? East Carolina and Southern Miss will play again in just 21 short days (Jan. 25). The Pirates will conclude their season series with the Golden Eagles before playing home-and-home foes Marshall, Memphis and UAB even once.
UP NEXT
? East Carolina will return home to face Conference USA rival UCF on Saturday, Jan. 7. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. The Pirates have won four in-a-row in the series, including a three-game sweep of the Knight last season.
