East Carolina University
8-9,2-3AAC
Houston
4-13,0-6AAC
Seniors Lead East Carolina Past Houston, 76-70
January 14, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Box Score 
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Jada Payne and I'Tiana Taylor recorded respective double-doubles in East Carolina's 76-70 victory over Houston in American Athletic Conference action on Thursday night at Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum.
Payne scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds with three steals for her 10th-double-double of the season, while Taylor compiled 21 points and 16 rebounds for her ninth double-double on the year. DeVaughn Gray poured in a season-high 18 points behind four three-pointers and handed out a career-high four assists. The three seniors were responsible for 63 of ECU's 76 points on the evening.
Payne's 10 double-doubles place her in a tie for the seventh most among all NCAA Division I players.
East Carolina (8-9, 2-3 AAC) fell behind, 4-1, in the opening minutes after a pair of turnovers on errant passes, but recollected itself with suffocating defense and a handful of fast break baskets. Behind nine points by Taylor, as well as six points and three assists by Csutoras, the Pirates were able to close the quarter on a 25-8 scoring run and take a 26-12 lead after 10 minutes of action.
Houston (4-13, 0-6 AAC) was able to cut its deficit in half to just seven points, 28-21, after a pair of free throws following the media timeout with 4:35 remaining, but the Pirates ripped off an 11-4 run over the subsequent two minutes when a three by Gray with 2:23 to go extended the advantage back to 14 at 39-25. The Cougars closed the half with five-straight points, as ECU took a nine-point margin into the intermission.
East Carolina shot 15-for-34 (.441) overall, 5-for-13 (.385) from three-point range and 4-for-5 (.800) at the free throw line in the first half, while Houston went just 8-for-22 (.364) from the field, 2-for-7 (.286) from deep and 12-for-16 (.750) at the stripe.
The Cougars rallied from the start of the second half with a 14-5 run to erase their deficit and tie the game at 44-all, after ECU opened the period shooting 2-for-10 overall and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc before calling timeout with 5:47 left in the third quarter.
The Pirates refocused themselves once again after the stoppage in play by opening up a17-3 scoring run that began with Payne's only three-point basket of the night and concluded on a three-point play by Gray at the 2:03 mark and a layup by Taylor with 1:33 remaining to push the advantage back to 14 points, 61-47.
Trailing 61-51 to start the fourth quarter, Houston countered again and cut the deficit to just seven after a pair of free throws by Jessieka Palmer with 7:28 to go in the game made it 65-58 in favor of the home team. East Carolina punched back with a 9-0 run to the 3:55 mark, capped by Gray's second three-point play on the night, to establish the largest lead of the night at 16 points with the score 74-58.
The Cougars had one last jolt left in its arsenal and used it to build a 12-0 run of their own that began on a layup with 2:28 remaining and ended on a three by Marche Amerson with 13 seconds to go to come within just four of the Pirates, 74-70. Payne was able to end the comeback by knocking down a pair of free throws with nine ticks left on the game clock to seal the six-point victory.
ECU shot 29-for-72 (.403) overall on the night, 7-for-24 (.292) from three and 11-for-14 (.786) at the free throw line, while Houston went 21-for-52 (.404) from the field, 5-for-14 (.357) from deep and 23-for-29 (.793) at the foul stripe. The Pirates won the turnover battle, 18-14, and outscored the Cougars, 40-22, in the paint, 17-13 off turnovers and 20-12 on second chance baskets. The visitors owned a 32-8 scoring margin off the bench.
Houston placed three scorers in double-figures, led by Chyanne Butler's 12 points, while Jacqueline Blake and Amerson chipped in 11 points apiece.
East Carolina will travel to Tampa, Fla., on Sunday, Jan. 17 to face No. 19/16 USF. Opening tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
