East Carolina University
6-4
Chattanooga
7-4
East Carolina Falls to Chattanooga, 72-61
December 18, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Box Score 
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Four Pirates scored in double-figures and Jada Payne posted her seventh double-double of the season, but the East Carolina women's basketball team suffered a 72-61 defeat against Chattanooga in its first game of the UNCW Christmas Classic in Trask Coliseum on Friday afternoon.
Payne shot 7-for-15 overall and 3-for-5 from three-point range as she compiled 18 points and 10 rebounds. Khadidja Toure scored 13 points, while I'Tiana Taylor added 12 and DeVaughn Gray chipped in 11 and a team-high three assists.
East Carolina (6-3) played at its own pace following the opening tip as Gray made her first two shots, comprising five of the team's first seven points as the Pirates trailed by one, 8-7, at the first media timeout at the 4:41 mark. ECU went on to make 50 percent of its shots from the field in the first quarter, while clamping down on defense to hold the Mocs to just 5-for-14 shooting. Payne hit her third jumper of the period with two seconds remaining to give the purple and gold and 18-14 lead through the first 10 minutes of action.
Chattanooga (6-4) got its offense going in the second quarter and closed out ECU's attempts to get into the paint to outscore East Carolina by five in the period and take a 32-31 advantage into the locker rooms at halftime.
The Pirates and Mocs shot at mirroring clips in the first half, as both shot 12-for-27 (.444) from the field, 5-for-8 (.625) at the free throw line and tied, 18-18, on points in the paint. Chattanooga held a 3-2 edge in conversions from beyond the arc, while East Carolina owned a 17-14 advantage on the boards.
The Mocs scored the first two baskets of the second half, before ECU ripped off a 6-0 run capped by a Gray jumper to pull back in front by one, 37-36, with exactly seven minutes to go in the quarter. Chattanooga scored six-straight points of its own, but a 7-0 run by the Pirates, topped off by back-to-back threes by Payne, gave the purple and gold a 44-42 edge, but that would be the last time East Carolina would hold a lead in the contest.
Chattanooga scored the final three points of the third quarter to take a one-point lead into the final frame and extended that run to nine in a row for a 50-44 advantage with 7:15 remaining in the fourth. A layup by Toure with 5:03 remaining brought East Carolina back within two, 54-52, but the Pirates would draw no closer as the Mocs pushed its lead to double digits by making their free throws to hang on for the 11-point win.
ECU made a season-low 22 field goals and finished the day shooting 40.7 percent overall from the field, 4-for-11 (.364) from deep and 13-for-21 (.619) at the foul stripe. Chattanooga shot 25-for-48 (.521) from the floor, 4-for-10 (.400) from three and 18-for-27 (.667) at the free throw line.
East Carolina will return to action in Wilmington on Saturday, Dec. 19 for a 1 p.m., contest against Ohio.
