Women's Basketball Hosts Tulane In Nationally-Televised Tilt
February 01, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2012
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| Tulane at East Carolina Feb. 2, 2012 | 7:05 p.m. ET Greenville, N.C. (Minges Coliseum) TV: CBS Sports Network |
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina closes the first half of its Conference USA schedule Thursday night, hosting Tulane in a contest that will be televised by the CBS Sports Network. Tipoff at Minges Coliseum is slated for 7:05 p.m., with Jason Knapp and Krista Blunk handling the call.
Including the meeting with the Green Wave, ECU's league opponents thus far have a combined mark of 33-13 in conference games. Conversely, the remaining teams on the docket sport a 22-31 ledger. Additionally, the Pirates have already completed their season series with second-place Memphis.
Speaking of the Tigers, Memphis served as East Carolina's opponent in both teams' most recent outing with the Tigers earning a 69-56 victory in Greenville. Freshman Tatiana Chapple netted 10 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and three steals. She hit five of her eight shots from the field and was complemented by Kristine Mial and Celeste Stewart who also scored 10 points apiece. Additionally, Britny Edwards dished out four of the Pirates' 14 assists - a season high for the junior.
East Carolina buried 21 of its shots from the field on 56 attempts for a 38-percent shooting mark while the Tigers ended up at 48 percent for the contest and hit 30 shots on 63 tries. ECU also nailed six three-pointers, marking the 62nd-straight game in which the Pirates have nailed at least two triples. Memphis finished the afternoon with a 39-34 rebounding edge as the teams combined for 30 offensive rebounds (16 for the Tigers).
Inside the Matchup
- Tulane (15-5, 4-3) has won three-straight league games after beginning the C-USA slate at 1-3. The Green Wave downed Marshall in New Orleans 68-52 last Sunday as junior guard Olivia Grayson led all players with 18 points - 12 of which came in the second half - while chipping in five rebounds and four assists.
- Lisa Stockton, in her 18th season at Tulane, is the dean of C-USA women's basketball coaches, having compiled 364 victories as the leader of the Green Wave.
- The Pirates have won a CBS Sports Network-televised game each of the last two seasons. ECU downed Marshall 48-44 on Senior Day last year after recording a 77-76 overtime win at Memphis on Feb. 27, 2010.
- The Green Wave freshmen have made a mark on the league this season as the group is responsible for seven of the 12 C-USA Freshman of the Week awards.
- The two teams are at the top of the league in assists per game (conference games only) as Tulane sits third with a 14.4 average while East Carolina is fifth at 13.0 a/g.
THE SERIES: TULANE
East Carolina and Tulane meet for the 14th time in a series that began in 1986 . The Green Wave have won all but three of the matchups and have taken the last six decisions - including the last two at Minges Coliseum.
FREE THROWS COMING AROUND
It is no secret the Pirates struggled at the free throw line to begin the season. However, that continues to turn around as of late. Entering the UAB contest, ECU was firing at just 58 percent at the charity stripe. In the last six games, East Carolina has produced a mark of 63 percent.
MIXING IT UP
Due to injury and various other reasons, head coach Heather Macy has had to submit five different starting lineups in the last nine games.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
With a victory against Monmouth, ECU tied the longest home winning streak in program history at 12 before falling to VCU to snap the string. The Pirates last won 12-straight contests at Minges Coliseum during the 2009-10 campaign, beginning with the first game of the season and ending with a close five-point loss to eventual C-USA champion Tulane.
THE STARTING 10
It seems like the Pirate bench gets deeper with each passing season and is an extension of the starting five. East Carolina's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 86 of the last 112 contests.
WHEN MAKING 30
East Carolina converted 47 field goals against St. Andrew's, marking the 29th time since the start of the 2006-07 campaign that the Pirates have made 30 or more baskets in a single game.
THREE ME
With six (6) three-point field goals drained against Memphis, East Carolina has made at least two triples in 62-straight games.
UP NEXT FOR EAST CAROLINA
ECU returns to the road portion of its schedule Sunday, Feb. 5 when the Pirates travel to Hattiesburg for a contest with Southern Miss. Tipoff at Reed Green Coliseum is scheduled for 3 p.m.
