Gameday Central: East Carolina at Middle Tennessee
January 29, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2014
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SETTING THE SCENE
? Still in search of its first Conference USA win of the season, East Carolina travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for its lone meeting of the season with league newcomer Middle Tennessee on Thursday night.
? ECU owns a 2-0 record against Middle Tennessee with wins over the Blue Raiders in 2001 and `02.
? The Pirates have lost five in a row and seven of eight overall, while the Blue Raiders have won five of their seven and have a 3-2 record in conference play.
? Both teams are shooting 45-percent from the field for the season, which includes a 44.5 percent clip for Middle Tennessee in league play, while ECU is shooting just 37.8. The Blue Raiders are averaging 69 points in league play and the Pirates are averaging 60 points per C-USA game.
? ECU owns a 2-4 record on the road this season, while Middle Tennessee is 9-2 at home.
? Both teams were winless against the "Power 5" in non-conference play this season. The Pirates were 0-2 against the ACC (Duke and NC State), while the Blue Raiders were 0-2 versus SEC foes (Florida and Ole Miss)..
PIRATE TALES
? The Pirates were held to their four lowest point totals of the season in successive style during their last four games, scoring 67 at Florida Atlantic, 64 at FIU and 54 versus Tulane before being held to 46.
? Senior Akeem Richmond currently has the second-highest single-season 3-point field goal per game averaging C-USA history at 4.70. Charlotte's Demon Brown averaged 4.72 3s per game during the 2002-03 season.
THREE-POINT THINGS TO WATCH FOR
? Richmond is six made 3s from becoming just the third player in C-USA history to make 100 3-pointers in multiple seasons. Houston's Robert McKiver (145, 2007-08; 116, 2006-07) and UAB's Robert Vaden (142, 2007-08; 112, 2008-09) were the others. Richmond made 108 last season.
? Should Richmond make six 3-pointers he would be in the first player in NCAA Division I to make 100 3s this season.
? Richmond's next 3-pointer will be his 200th at ECU, making him just the fifth player in school history to reach that mark and the first to do it in two seasons. The school record is 229.
LOOKING AHEAD
? The Pirates will head to Birmingham immediately following the conclusion of Thursday night's game against Middle Tennessee. ECU faces UAB Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m.
? ECU will return home Feb. 6 and 8 to face UTEP and UTSA. The Feb. 6 game against UTEP is scheduled for a 9 p.m. tip-off and will be televised on Fox Sports 1. It'll be the Pirates' final C-USA meeting with the Miners and first-ever game against the Road Runners.
