East Carolina University
6-9,0-3AAC
Tulane
11-4,2-1AAC
Pirates Suffer 66-51 Conference Setback Against Tulane
January 05, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Box Score 
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Jada Payne and I'Tiana Taylor posted respective double-doubles, but the East Carolina women's basketball team suffered its eighth-straight loss, 66-51, to Tulane in American Athletic Conference action at Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Khadidja Toure matched a career-high with 18 points to go with four rebounds and three assists, while Payne compiled 12 points, 10 boards, four assists and three steals. Taylor contributed 12 points and as many grabs on the glass, as she and Payne now have eight double-doubles on the season, respectively.
East Carolina (6-9, 0-3 AAC) opened the game hot from beyond the arc as DeVaughn Gray and Toure hit consecutive threes to open up an early 8-2 lead. The Pirates were able to hold the Green Wave to just one free throw and scoreless from three-point range on their four attempts to hold a 13-11 lead through the first 10 minutes of action.
After ECU pushed its lead to as many as seven, 20-13, following a layup by Payne with 7:49 to go in the second quarter, but Tulane (10-5, 2-1 AAC) responded with a 12-4 scoring run to grab its first lead of the game, 25-24, with 4:21 left. Both sides exchanged baskets over the final four-plus minutes, before Kolby Morgan put back an offensive rebound as time expired to give the visitors a 31-30 edge at halftime.
ECU shot 11-for-23 (.478) from the field, 3-for-10 (.300) from deep and 5-for-6 (.833) at the free throw line in the first half, while the Green Wave went 14-for-28 (.500) on the floor, 2-for-8 (.250) from three and hit one of its two free throws.
Tulane opened up its lead to nine points, 42-33, just four minutes into the third quarter as the Pirates tried to get their outside game going, but made just one of its 10 tries from the three-point line. The Green Wave made eight of its 15 shots by working the ball inside and built a 50-42 advantage heading into the final frame.
Tulane continued to hammer away and pushed its lead into double digits, 52-42, just three minutes into the fourth quarter and never led by fewer than 11 the rest of the way before closing out its 15-point win.
ECU finished the night shooting 18-for-52 (.346) overall, 4-for-22 (.182) from three and 11-for-17 (.647) at the foul line, while Tulane shot 25-for-54 (.463) from the field, 5-for-14 (.357) from downtown and 11-for-13 (.846) at the stripe.
The Green Wave owned a 22-18 edge in the paint, 22-19 advantage in points off turnovers and a 13-1 lead in bench scoring. The Pirates out-rebounded Tulane, 36-32.
Morgan led all scorers with 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Courtnie Latham chipped in 13 points. Leslie Vorpahl handed out a game-high seven assist to go with eight points.
East Carolina will have a quick turnaround when it makes a road trip to Orlando, Fla., to take on UCF on Thursday, Jan. 7. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m., at UFE Arena.
