East Carolina University
13-18, 6-12
Houston
12-18, 4-14
Pirates Fall To Houston In Regular Season Finale
March 08, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Game Report 
| Tournament Bracket | Championship Central
HOUSTON -- East Carolina lost its regular season finale to Houston, 72-54, at Hofheinz Pavilion, dropping the Pirates into a tie for seventh-place in the final regular season standings of the American Athletic Conference.
East Carolina, tied with Tulane with a 6-12 conference record, will be the No. 8 seed at this week's conference championship tournament and take on No. 9 seed UCF in the first round on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Terry Whisnant led East Carolina (13-18, 6-12 American) with 13 points, making a trio of 3-pointers. Caleb White also made three-pointers to finish with nine points, while Marshall Guilmette also adding nine points. Michel Nzege led the Pirates with six rebounds with Whisnant and B.J. Tyson recording three steals each.
Jherrod Stiggers scored 17 points and Devonta Pollard added 14 with 11 rebounds for the Cougars (12-18, 4-14), who posted their third straight win. LeRon Barnes also had 14 and Wes VanBeck contributed 10 points.
The Pirates held a brief lead at 6-3, but Pollard made a layup with 13:33 left in the first half to give the Cougars an 11-9 lead, Houston never trailed again.
Houston shot 52 percent in the first half to open a 35-24 lead as it held ECU to a mere 30 percent shooting, connecting on just 9 of 30 attempts.
With Stiggers scoring 14 of his points in the second half the Cougars steadily pulled way, leading by 21 late.
The Cougars shot 42.9 percent outside the arc, making 12 of 28. Stiggers made four 3s and Barnes buried three. They finished shooting 50 percent from the field overall compared to 37.7 percent by the Pirates.
