ECU Women's Basketball Hosts Cincinnati Wednesday Night
January 19, 2016 | Women's Basketball
| Game 19: East Carolina vs. Cincinnati | |
| Date | Wednesday, Jan. 20 |
| Time | 7 p.m. (ET) |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. (Minges Coliseum) |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  | Cincinnati | American Conference |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Coverage |  Pirates On Demand |  Radio: (WZMB 91.3 FM) | @ECUScoreboard |
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's basketball team will play three home games over its next four, beginning Wednesday night in American Athletic Conference action against Cincinnati. Opening tip-off is set for 7 p.m., at Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum.
PROMOTIONS
The first 250 fans in attendance will receive a FREE No Quarter flag.
LAST TIME OUT
East Carolina (8-10, 2-4 AAC) dropped a road contest at No. 19/16 USF, 75-54, on Sunday afternoon. I'Tiana Taylor compiled her 10th double-double of the season, scoring 11 points with a game-high 13 rebounds for her fifth double-double in six conference games this season to go with two blocks and a pair of steals. Jada Payne added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Alex Frazier also led all players with four assists. The Bulls' Shalethia Stringfield led all scorers with 22 points, while Courtney Williams compiled a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
ALL-TIME VERSUS CINCINNATI
The Pirates and Bearcats will meet for the ninth time overall and have split the first eight matchups in the all-time series, 4-4. ECU swept Cincinnati in both contests after the two programs faced off for the first time in 10 seasons. East Carolina claimed a 78-53 road win on Feb. 10, 2015, before netting a 53-40 home triumph just 11 days later. The two schools were members of Conference USA for a short time (2002-2005) before the Bearcats departed for the BIG EAST. Cincinnati's last victory in Greenville came on Feb. 9, 2003 in a 83-69 decision.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Cincinnati (6-11, 2-4 AAC) enters Wednesday's contest with losses in three of its last four, including an 80-60 home defeat to UCF last Saturday. Guard Ana Owens leads the Bearcats with 13.9 points and 3.2 assists per game this season, while Jasmine Whitfield ranks second on the team in points (12.8) and first in rebounding (6.4). Alyesha Lovett is also averaging double-digit points with 11.9 to go with 5.6 boards. Overall, Cincinnati is shooting just under 34 percent as a team and 28.3 percent from three-point range. The Bearcats own a -13.2 scoring margin on the year while allowing opponents to make 44 percent of their shots.
FEELS BRAND NEW
East Carolina graduated six players last season, but only three of its six returners have been able to see the court this season. Those three (Jada Payne, I'Tiana Taylor and DeVaughn Gray) were responsible for 33.9 of the Pirates' 66.6 points per game last season, and are currently producing 42.1 of the team's 69.4 points per contest this season.
PAYNE AN ALL-AMERICA CHOICE IN THE MAKING
Redshirt senior wing player Jada Payne has been one of the nation's best offensive players in 2015-16 and has the numbers to prove it. Payne is one of just four NCAA Division I players to average more than 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and one of just four nationally to average more than 20 points and shoot over 50 percent from the field. The Preseason All-American Athletic Conference choice's 20.6 points per contest rank 19th and her 10 double-doubles stand tied for 11th nationally.
TAYLOR'S TALE
I'Tiana Taylor has posted five double-doubles in ECU's first six conference games this season and has 10 total. In league play, Taylor is averaging 13.7 points and 12.3 rebounds while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor.
SENIORS AMBUSH HOUSTON
Seniors Jada Payne, I'Tiana Taylor and DeVaughn Gray were responsible for 63 of ECU's 76 points in the six-point win over the Cougars on Jan. 14. Payne (24 pts/10 rebs) and Taylor (21 pts/16 rebs) posted respective double-doubles while Gray added a season-high 18 points and a career-high four assists while hitting four threes
PAYNE CLIMBING ALL-TIME SCORING CHART
In just two full seasons, Jada Payne scored the 17th-most points in ECU history and is on pace to become one of top three scorers the program has ever had in just three years' time. Payne surpassed 1,500 in her third season at East Carolina on Jan. 17 at USF and has 1,774-career points. With 226 more during her senior campaign, an average of 17.4 per game the rest of this season, she will eclipse 2,000 for her career.
Player Points
1. Rosie Thompson (1975-80) 2,352
2. Mary Denkler (1979-83) 1,789
3. LaCoya Terry (2005-09) 1,648
4. Jasmine Young (2005-09) 1,591
5. Debbie Freeman (1974-78) 1,570
6. Tonya Hargrove (1988-92) 1,532
7. Jada Payne (2013-pres.) 1,502
8. Jennifer Jackson (2001-05) 1,490
9. Courtney Willis (2000-04) 1,374
10. Sylvia Bragg (1982-86) 1,366
DOUBLE-DOUBLE BUBBLE
East Carolina has had at least one player record a double-double in all but one game this season, while two or more players have notched a double-double in the same game on six different occasions:
Nov. 22 at Delaware
Payne - 22 points/17 rebounds
Taylor - 11 points/11 rebounds
Nov. 27 vs. Eastern Washington
Payne - 20 points/16 rebounds
Taylor - 14 points/10 rebounds
Nov. 28 vs. No. 19 Northwestern
Taylor - 27 points/17 rebounds
Payne - 22 points/13 rebounds
Laramie - 14 points/10 rebounds
Dec. 19 vs. Ohio
Taylor - 19 points/17 rebounds
Laramie - 11 points/10 rebounds
Jan. 5 vs. Tulane
Payne - 12 points/10 rebounds
Taylor - 12 points/12 rebounds
Jan. 14 vs. Houston
Payne - 24 points/10 rebounds
Taylor - 21 points/16 rebounds
PAYNE BRINGS THE RAIN
Jada Payne broke her own ECU single-season record for three-pointers made with 80 in 33 games in 2014-15. She initially set the record in 2013-14 with 70 makes from beyond the arc and is on pace to break the school record for conversions in just three years:
Player 3-Pt FGM
1. Allison Spivey (2007-11) 201
2. Jasmine Young (2005-09) 178
3. Jada Payne (2013-pres.) 173
4. Justine Allpress (1993-97) 166
5. Jennifer Jackson (2001-05) 159
