East Carolina University
2-0
Rhode Island
0-2
Pirates Blow Past Rhode Island, 66-38
November 15, 2014 | Women's Basketball
KINGSTON, R.I. - Redshirt junior Jada Payne scored 15 of her game-high 19 points in the first half and senior post player Ondrea Shaw matched her career-high with seven blocks as the East Carolina women's basketball team picked up a 66-38 road win over Rhode Island on the final day of the URI Invitational at the Thomas M. Ryan Center.
Payne finished the day with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks en route to earning all-tournament team honors. DeVaughn Gray scored 14 points and pulled down eight boards, while Shaw's seven blocks were the most since accomplishing the same feat at Bethune Cookman last season.
Junior forward I'Tiana Taylor was big off the bench for the second game in a row with eight points, nine rebounds and a block.
East Carolina (2-0) opened the game with a 10-0 run, capped by a jumper and a 3-pointer by Payne just three-and-a-half minutes following the opening tip. The Pirates continued to pressure the Rams with a full-court press defense and opened up its largest lead of the half to 19 at 25-6 with 10:50 remaining.
The physical play began to pick up on both sides, as Rhode Island (0-2) used some of its own defensive tactics to force ECU into 13 first-half turnovers, as the Pirates struggled from the free throw line in converting just six of their 13 attempts. ECU was still able to take a 39-22 lead into the intermission.
East Carolina shot 14-of-29 (.483) from the field and 5-of-10 (.500) from beyond the arc, as both Payne and junior DeVaughn Gray connected on two 3-point shots apiece. The Rams shot 5-of-21 (.238) from the floor, 3-of-9 (.333) from downtown and 9-of-15 (.600) from the foul stripe.
The second half turned into a bit of a defensive affair, but the Pirates continued to maintain a comfortable 20-point lead for the majority of the remainder of the game. Rhode Island was able to get its deficit to 17 after a pair of free throws at the 10:16 mark, but an eight-point scoring swing to ECU opened up the advantage to 25 at 56-31 with 7:03 left in the period after a layup by Janesha Ebron.
The two sides traded shots during the final six minutes, but East Carolina generated its biggest lead of the night on the final bucket of the evening, a layup by Gray with 1:23 to go for the largest lead of the game and a 28-point victory.
ECU finished the day shooting 23-of-63 (.365) overall and 5-of-14 (.357) from three, while Rhode Island shot 9-of-44 (.205) from the floor and 4-for-16 (.250) from 3-point range.
East Carolina will host its first home game of the season Wednesday, Nov. 19 against College of Charleston. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m., at Williams Arena and Minges Coliseum.
