East Carolina University
16-8 (7-6AAC)
Cincinnati
6-18 (3-10AAC)
Second Half Surge Lifts East Carolina Over Cincinnati, 78-53
February 10, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Box Score 
CINCINNATI - Redshirt senior Abria Trice scored 15 of a season-high 23 points in the second half as the East Carolina women's basketball team outscored Cincinnati, 45-18, in the final 20 minutes en route to a 78-53 American Athletic Conference road victory Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Trice shot 9-for-14 overall on the evening and a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line in her first 20-point performance of the season. Three more Pirates reached double-figure scoring, as redshirt junior Jada Payne added 17 points and eight rebounds, senior forward Shae Nelson contributed 16 points and junior forward I'Tiana Taylor scored 10 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
East Carolina (16-8, 7-6 AAC) connected on some high-percentage shots close to the basket in the opening minutes to create a 10-6 lead after a layup by Taylor at the 15:01 mark. Taylor made another basket just one minute later to put the Pirates ahead, 12-10, but Cincinnati (6-18, 3-10 AAC) raced out on a 10-0 scoring run, after a pair of buckets by Marley Hill sandwiched back-to-back three-pointers by Makenzie Cann to build its largest lead of the half, 20-12, with 11:26 remaining.
The Pirates fought back and moved within two points of the Bearcats, 24-22, after Trice sunk a jumper with 6:46 left on the clock, but Cincinnati scored eight-straight points over the next two-plus minutes of action to bring its lead back to eight.
East Carolina responded once again with a 7-0 run to the two-minute mark after a Nelson triple, Taylor jumper and a pair of free throws by Trice to cut the deficit to just one, but the Bearcats were able to hold on to take a 35-33 edge into the locker rooms at halftime.
ECU shot 13-for-26 (.500) from the field, 3-for-6 (.500) beyond the arc and 4-for-5 (.800) at the free throw line in the first half, while Cincinnati went 11-for-30 (.367) on the floor, 5-for-14 (.357) from deep and 8-for-11 (.727) at the foul stripe.
The Pirates exploded out of the gate to start the second half, scoring six-straight points to force the Bearcats into calling a timeout and reclaiming a 39-35 lead. East Carolina would not surrender the advantage on the scoreboard for the rest of the night, as the offensive explosion had just begun.
ECU extended its scoring advantage to 34-4 to begin the half and create its largest lead of the night, 67-39, after a jumper by Trice with 7:38 to go. Included in that run was an impressive defensive display by the Pirates, who allowed a field goal with 4:32 remaining in the first half and did not allow another basket until the 11:11 mark of the second half - a span of 13:43.
East Carolina continued to push the ball up the court and get defensive stops. The Pirates shot 19-for-31 (.613) from the floor in the second half and held the Bearcats to just 4-for-26 (.154) shooting in the period to close out the 25-point victory.
ECU shot a season-best 32-for-57 (.561) overall on the night, 7-for-14 (.500) beyond the three-point line and 7-for-11 (.636) at the free throw line, while Cincinnati shot 15-for-56 (.268) from the field, 7-for-22 (.318) beyond the arc and 16-for-20 (.800) at the foul stripe.
East Carolina will return home to host 25th-ranked USF on Sunday, Feb. 15 in a nationally televised matchup on ESPNU. It will also be ECU's annual Play4Kay pink game with opening tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m.
