East Carolina University
15-8 (6-6AAC)
Houston
6-16 (1-10AAC)
Phillips' Double-Double Paces Pirates Past Houston, 79-56
February 03, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Game Highlights | Box Score | Box Score 
Phillips scored 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting and matched career highs in rebounds (10) and assists (5), while adding two blocks and two steals. The Hartsville, S.C., native also posted a double-double in the first meeting in the 87-46 victory at Houston on Jan. 10 with12 points, 10 boards and five assists.
Junior forward Shae Nelson poured in a season-high 18 points and shot 4-for-7 from three-point range, redshirt senior Abria Trice matched her season high with 16 points and redshirt junior Jada Payne added 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Senior point guard Janesha Ebron scored a season-high eight points to go with four boards, four assists and two steals to lead the Pirates.
"It was a really fun game to coach these kids in," head coach Heather Macy said. "Their energy level was high, their effort was incredible and it's just a really nice team win."
East Carolina (15-8, 6-6 AAC) spread the ball around to open up an early 12-3 lead, but the Cougars responded with a 9-0 run of their own to tie the game. The Pirates attacked the painted area relentlessly and drew more than a half dozen shooting fouls and shot perfect 14-for-14 at the free throw line to the 6:46 mark where they held a 25-20 lead.
Houston (6-16, 1-10 AAC) cut its deficit to as few as two points after a three by Bianca Winslow with 5:08 to go, but Nelson hit two of her three first-half conversions from three-point range inside the final five minutes of the period, with her third coming with just five seconds remaining to give East Carolina a 37-26 advantage as it went into halftime.
"Right now it's just all about focus and mentality," Nelson said. "Coach Macy has been instilling mentality in us for the past couple months and I think it's all starting to click now that everybody is starting to buy in to what she wants for the program and where we all want to end up at the end of the season."
ECU shot 10-for-24 (.417) from the field, 3-for-5 (.600) from beyond the arc and made all 14 of its free throw attempts in the first half, while the Cougars shot 10-for-22 (.455) on the floor, 2-for-7 (.286) from deep and 4-for-6 (.667) at the free throw line.
The Pirates maintained their aggressive approach as they came out the locker rooms, beginning the second half with a 25-8 scoring run over the first nine-and-a-half minutes of the period after Nelson sunk her fourth triple to create East Carolina's largest lead of the night, 62-34, with 10:30 left to play.
Houston did its best to cut into the 28-point deficit with nine-straight points after a layup by Demetria Foreman with 8:36 remaining, but would draw no closer, as ECU pushed its lead back to more than 20 points and closed out the evening for its second straight win.
"Coach Macy has been working with me on letting the offense come by starting with defense, getting a steal here, a deflection there, and the momentum will carry me to the offensive end," Nelson said. "I kind of get paranoid but I'm starting to get the defense to work by moving around and passing around a lot so it's coming along."
The Pirates finished the night shooting 24-for-53 (.453) overall, 6-for-15 (.400) from three-point range and connected on a season-high 25 free throws on 28 attempts (.893). The Cougars shot a combined 20-for-48 (.471) from the field, 4-for-13 (.308) from beyond the arc and 12-for-16 (.750) at the foul stripe.
ECU outscored Houston, 30-26, in the paint, 25-16 off turnovers, 14-12 on second-chance buckets and 24-17 off the bench and forced the visitors into 23 turnovers, marking the 13th time this season the Pirate defense has generated 20 or more in a game.
Jessieka Palmer led the Cougars with 13 points, while Marche Amerson contributed 11 points, a team-high seven rebounds and three assists.
East Carolina will have a seven-day hiatus between games and will return to action next Tuesday, Feb. 10 at Cincinnati. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m., at Fifth Third Arena.
