Pirates Head South For Matchup With Southern Miss
February 04, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2012
 vs.  |
| East Carolina at Southern Miss Feb. 5, 2012 | 3:00 p.m. ET Hattiesburg, Miss. (Reed Green Coliseum) TV: None |
 Watch Online |  Gametracker |  Game Notes |  Tickets |  Gameday Central |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After completing the first half of its conference USA schedule with a 63-49 setback to Tulane, East Carolina embarks on the stretch run of its season by facing Southern Miss on the road Sunday. Tipoff at Reed Green Coliseum is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Pirates failed to pick up a win in their first eight league affairs, but came close a number of times - including losses to UCF, UAB and Memphis by a combined 14 points.
In the contest with the Green Wave, Sophomore Kristine Mial finished with 15 points and nine rebounds while Chareya Smith added 10 points for ECU. Britny Edwards posted nine rebounds and two steals as Mial recorded five steals to go along with her offensive output. Junior Shala Hodges returned to the lineup for the first time in eight games, playing nine minutes.
The Pirates took 59 shots, five more than Tulane, but hit just 17 for a 29-percent effort from the field. The Green Wave drained 21 buckets on 54 attempts for 39 percent. East Carolina came out on top in the rebounding battle, 44-38, and picked up 17 offensive boards as compared to 11 for Tulane. The Pirates turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 21 points for the Green Wave, and the Tulane bench chipped in 30 points - 20 by freshman Jamie Kaplan.
Inside the Matchup
- The contest marks the first of two between the schools this season. Southern Miss will make the return trip to Greenville on March 1, the final day of the regular season.
- Southern Miss (7-15, 1-8 C-USA) picked up its first league win of the year Thursday, downing Memphis on the road by a count of 62-54. The win snapped an eight-game losing skid for the Golden Eagles and also served as Southern Miss' first true road win of the campaign. The Tigers were playing without leading scorer and C-USA Preseason Player of the Year Brittany Carter
- Joye Lee-McNelis is in her eighth season as head coach of Southern Miss - her alma mater. East Carolina head coach Heather Macy earned her master's degree from Southern Miss in 2002.
- ECU is looking for its first win at Reed Green Coliseum since 2008. The Pirates have lost the last two decisions inside the venue by a combined seven points.
- East Carolina has a tall task in its attempt to contain Golden Eagle sophomore guard Jamierra Faulkner, who leads Conference USA in assists per game and ranks third nationally with a 7.6 average. The Pirates have also faced Hampton's Jericka Jenkins, who is second nationally.
- Taking care of the basketball will be a key factor in the matchup as Southern Miss and East Carolina are 11th and 12th, respectively, in the league rankings in turnover margin (conference games only).
THE SERIES: SOUTHERN MISS
East Carolina and Tulane meet for the 18th time in a series that began in 2002 . The Pirates own a 10-7 lead and have taken seven of the last 10 matchups.
FINISH THE JOB
East Carolina has had the lead or been tied at halftime in 11 of its 21 contests this season. However, the Pirates have been able to win just five of those games and have dropped five straight.
MIXING IT UP
Due to injury and various other reasons, head coach Heather Macy has had to submit six different starting lineups in the last 10 games.
CONFERENCE USA: THE 11TH SEASON
East Carolina is in its 11th 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). The Pirates notched their first league tournament title with 79-70 triumph over Rice in the 2007 championship game at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla.
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 113 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 five (5) three-point field goals drained against Tulane, East Carolina has made at least two triples in 63-straight games.
UP NEXT FOR EAST CAROLINA
Another rematch awaits ECU this coming Thursday as the Pirates travel to Birmingham for a contest against UAB. Tipoff at Bartow Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. The Blazers downed the Pirates 44-39 in Greenville earlier this season.
