East Carolina University
6-1
Eastern Washington
3-3
East Carolina Takes Down Eastern Washington, 80-62
November 27, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Box Score 
AUSTIN, Texas - Jada Payne recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Head Coach Heather Macy won her 100th game at East Carolina as the Pirates defeated Eastern Washington, 80-62, in its second game of the Lone Star Showcase on Friday night.
Payne shot 8-for-14 overall to go with three assists and a season-high five steals, as she now has 20 or more points and double-digit rebounds in six of her seven games this season. Marina Laramie added 17 points, while I'Tiana Taylor posted her second double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 boards. Khadidja Toure contributed 11 points, four assists and three steals.
East Carolina (6-1) won the opening tip-off and scored before allowing a three-pointer with 8:29 on the clock, but took control with back-to-back makes by DeVaughn Gray and Payne to force the Eagles into using their first timeout, trailing 7-3 at the 7:55 mark. The Pirates exploded through the stoppage in play with a 16-0 scoring run that was capped by a Taylor layup with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter to create an 18-3 lead. ECU allowed just three field goals in the first quarter and closed out the period with a 26-9 advantage.
Eastern Washington (3-3) scored the first two baskets of the second quarter, but East Carolina matched on the scoreboard, 14-14, in the 10-minute frame and continued to crash the boards, as Payne pulled down 13 rebounds in the first half to help the purple and gold take a 40-23 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
ECU shot 16-for-32 (.500) from the field, 2-for-8 (.250) from the three-point line and 6-for-9 (.667) at the foul stripe while holding a 25-14 advantage on the glass. The Eagles shot 8-for-30 (.267) from the field, 2-for-7 (.286) beyond the arc and 5-for-7 (.714) at the foul line.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair that continued through the third quarter as the Pirates had trouble pulling away until the final two-and-a-half minutes when a Laramie three created the first 20-point gap of the game, 53-33, with 2:29 remaining. A Taylor layup with one minute to go put East Carolina ahead by 22 at 59-37, before taking a 59-41 lead into the final period.
After both sides scored 19 points, respectively, in the third, the fourth quarter resulted in a tie score as well. The Pirates created their largest lead of the night - 25 points - after a pair of free throws by Laramie with 5:17 left on the game clock put ECU ahead, 75-50.
The Pirates finished the night shooting 29-for-68 (.426) overall, 5-for-20 (.250) from three-point range and 17-for-22 (.773) at the foul stripe, while the Eagles went 21-for-56 (.375) from the field, 2-for-11 (.182) from three and 18-for-24 (.750) at the free throw line.
ECU owned a 40-36 edge in points in the paint and a 17-6 advantage on second chance baskets, while Eastern Washington outscored the Pirates, 19-13, off turnovers. The Pirates owned a 48-31 margin on the boards and held their fourth opponent to less than 20 percent from three-point range.
East Carolina will close out play in the Lone Star Showcase on Saturday, Nov. 28 when it takes on 19th-ranked Northwestern. The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (ET) at the Cedar Park Center.
