East Carolina University
8-11,1-5AAC
Tulsa
14-5,7-0AAC
East Carolina Drops 66-64 Contest to Tulsa
January 24, 2015 | Men's Basketball
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Game Highlights
From wire and staff reports
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- De'Andre Wright made two free throws with three seconds remaining to ensure the American Athletic Conference leading Tulsa remained unbeaten Saturday, holding off upset minded East Carolina, 66-64.
James Woodard scored 17 points and added five rebounds, while Shaquille Harrison finished with 13 points, five assists and five rebounds for Tulsa (14-5, 7-0 American Conference), which has won nine straight and 11 of 13 in coach Frank Haith's inaugural campaign.
After East Carolina's Michel-Ofik Nzege dunk tied the game at 61 with 2:09 to play, the Golden Hurricanes scored five straight points down the stretch, all of which came at the free throw line, to put the game away. The Pirates had two opportunities to tie or take the lead, but B.J. Tyson had a turnover and Terry Whisnant missed from 3-point range, where the Pirates finished 12 of 28.
Whisnant had 22 points to lead the Pirates (8-11, 1-5), making six 3-pointers for the second straight game. Nzege added 13 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and Antonio Robinson scored double figures for the first time this season, finishing with 10 points.
Despite making just 4 of its first 18 shots, ECU only trailed by four with 6:10 to play in the first half. Whisnant then ignited a 10-0 run with his first 3 of the game. Nzege followed with a basket and then Whisnant scored five in a row to give the Pirates a 26-20 lead.
East Carolina led by six after 20 minutes of play, 35-29, as Woodard grabbed the offensive rebound and his put back beat the halftime buzzer.
The Golden Hurricane wasted little time erasing its deficit, outscoring ECU 20-7 in the first seven minutes to take a seven-point lead on the strength of five 3-pointers, three from Woodard and two from Rashad Ray.
The resilient Pirates' continued to fight and battled back to tie the game at 57 with five minutes to play, but never took the lead.
Tulsa shot more than twice as many free throws as ECU and outscored it at the charity stripe, 20-9. The Golden Hurricane also had a 10-point advantage in the paint (26-16) and score 16 points off eight Pirate turnovers.
