East Carolina University
9-16,3-10AAC
Memphis
15-10,9-5AAC
East Carolina Falls to Memphis, 79-78, in OT
February 13, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Box Score 
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's basketball team suffered its second-straight overtime loss, 79-78, to Memphis in its Play4Kay Pink Game Saturday evening at Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum.
"I thought we did so many good things tonight, we competed very hard and did enough you would think to win a basketball game," Head Coach Heather Macy said. "Tonight, we were just a missed box out away."
Four Pirates scored in double-figures, led by I'Tiana Taylor's 13th double-double with 22 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the field while matching a career-high with 19 rebounds. The 10 field goals made also tied a personal-best, as the Pflugerville, Texas native now has five performances with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds this season.
Jada Payne added 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while DeVaughn Gray added 16 points, five boards and three assists off the bench. Marina Laramie contributed 10 points and pulled down six rebounds, as Alexandra Frazier topped her previous personal-best with eight assists.
Ariel Hearn led the Tigers with 22 points, eight assists and four steals, while Mooriah Rowser chipped in 14 points.
"It puts everything into perspective," Macy said regarding the Play4Kay initiative. "We worked and played like crazy to win a basketball game today. But what other people woke up to do was way different than coming to your fans yelling for you, eating their popcorn and drinking their Coke. What other people woke up to was another round of chemotherapy. It puts life into perspective. I wake up in the morning to attack how to win a basketball game and not to attack how to fight for my life. We have given the survivors, some who were in attendance today, them some inspiration and courage the way we played today."
East Carolina (9-16, 3-10 AAC) scored the first five points of the game on a three by Khadidja Toure and a layup by Taylor, but the Tigers responded with a 6-0 scoring run of their own to claim their first lead of the game just two-and-a-half minutes into the contest. The Pirates had the last word by responding with baskets on four-consecutive possession for an 8-0 run to create a 13-6 lead down to the 4:38 mark of the first quarter.
ECU's offensive execution continued for the duration of the period, shooting 11-for-18 (.611) from the field, behind 10 points and five rebounds by Taylor, and held a 23-14 lead after the first 10 minutes of action.
Payne converted her 11th three-point play of the season at the 8:21 mark of the second quarter before Laramie and Gray hit consecutive baskets to give the Pirates a 30-23 advantage with 7:06 to go in the half, but Memphis (15-10, 9-5 AAC) scored seven-straight points to tie the game at 30 with 3:10 remaining. ECU countered once again however with a 7-0 run of its own and took a 37-32 edge into the locker rooms at halftime.
East Carolina shot 17-for-34 (.500) on the floor, 2-for-10 (.200) from three-point range (.200) and made its only free throw attempt in the first half, while the Tigers shot 14-for-38 (.368) from the field, 4-for-12 (.333) beyond the arc and did not make a trip to the foul stripe.
Memphis showed resiliency to start the second half, opening up the third quarter with a 12-4 run to reclaim the lead, 44-41, following a layup by Rowser with 6:37 to go. Payne scored back-to-back layups to put the purple and gold back on top, but consecutive baskets by the Tigers put them back in front by three. The back-and-forth battle continued for the duration of the period, but Memphis led by just one, 54-53, when the buzzer sounded.
The Pirates came out firing to start the fourth quarter, scoring nine-straight points on a three by Gray, a pair of layups by Laramie and another basket by Taylor to jump back in front, 62-54, with 6:10 remaining in regulation. East Carolina was able to respond to all of Memphis' efforts to climb back into the game and led, 70-64, with just 2:15 left on the game clock, but a 7-2 run by the Tigers, capped by a layup by Hearn with 43 seconds to go cut the deficit to just one, 72-71.
Toure would make one of two free throws with six seconds remaining to keep ECU ahead by a pair, but after a pair of missed free throws by Hearn to tie the game with five seconds to go, Asianna Fuqua-Bey stuck back an offensive rebound on the second miss to draw the game even at 73-all and send the game to overtime.
The Pirates found themselves in an overtime contest in its second game in a row for the first time since the 2005-06 season after falling at SMU, 74-67, on Tuesday evening.
East Carolina struck first on a jumper by Gray just over one minute into the five-minute frame, but the Tigers scored six-straight points to take a 79-75 lead down to the 1:33 mark. Gray then forced her way inside the heart of the defense and converted a three-point play with 49 seconds to go, cutting the deficit to just one, but the Pirates would draw no closer before suffering their sixth loss in a row.
ECU made 30 or more field goals for the fourth time this season and finished the night shooting 34-for-79 (.430) overall, 5-for-17 (.294) from three and 5-for-6 (.833) at the free throw line. Memphis shot 34-for-80 (.425) from the field, 6-for-18 (.333) beyond the perimeter and 5-for-9 (.556) at the charity stripe.
The Pirates outscored the Tigers, 52-40, in the paint, but Memphis owned a 20-11 advantage scoring off turnovers, 16-8 edge on the fast break and a 28-16 differential off the bench.
East Carolina returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 17 with a road contest at Houston. Opening tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast on the American Digital Network.
