Pirates Visit UConn On Super Bowl Sunday
February 06, 2016 | Men's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. --- After a full week of rest, East Carolina returns to the hardwood Sunday at Gampel Pavilion for its only scheduled meeting of the year against UConn. The Pirates led the Huskies in both games last year, but were unable to hold on to the lead following intermission each time.
With wins over Memphis and Temple in the final seconds in two of its last three games, East Carolina (10-12, 2-7 The American) is learning how to finish games.
Prince Williams made two free throws with 4.1 seconds left against Memphis two weeks ago to left the Pirates to an 84-83 win, while freshman Kentrell Barkley converted a three-point with 1.8 ticks remaining to give the Pirates a victory over Temple, 64-61.
ECU nearly made it three wins in a row, but an emotionally charged week caught up to the Pirates in the second overtime and Houston prevailed by four a week ago.
Williams has been the catalyst during the Pirates' resurgence. He's scored double figures in four straight, scoring 18 or more in each of the last three games, averaging over four rebounds and five assists as well.
Williams is one of three players averaging more than 36 minutes per game in Coach Lebo's shortened rotation. Barkley has averaged 36.7 minutes, while Williams and B.J. Tyson have played an average of 36.0 minutes per contest in the last three games. Caleb White played 34 minutes during regulation time against Houston, after missing more than a week of practice due to injury.
East Carolina has done the majority of its scoring recently from 15-feet and beyond, outscoring its last three opponents, 43-30, at the foul line, and making nine or more 3s in three of the last four games.
The Pirates rank third in The American with 7.1 3-pointers per game.
UConn (16-6, 6-3) enters Saturday's game with victories in five of their last six, with its lone setback a last second loss to Cincinnati.
Owners of the conference's best defense, the Huskies are allowing just 61.2 points per game and holding their opponents to 36.8 percent shooting. They are also the conference's top free shooting team at 76.3 percent.
Led by graduate transfer Shonn Miller (13.4 ppg) and former NC State guard Rodney Purvis (13.3 ppg), UConn is outscoring its opponents by almost 13 points per game.
Last year's American Athletic Conference Freshman-of-the-Year Daniel Hamilton leads the Huskies with 8.7 rebounds per game, ranking him among the top-5 in the league. Junior Amida Brimah, who averaged a league-best 3.5 blocks per game last season, recently returned from injury and will once again be a disruptive presence on the defensive end.
UConn has won four in a row against East Carolina with a 37-year gap between victories, Prior to joining The American last season, the Pirates hadn't face the Huskies since 1978 and haven't beaten them since 1971. ECU is 0-4 all-time Storrs.
| Game 23: at UConn | |
| Date | Sunday, Feb. 4 |
| Time | 12 p.m. EST |
| Location | Storrs, Conn. (Gampel Pavilion) |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Live Game Coverage |  TV: CBS Sports Network Radio: WNCT 1070 AM | ECU Pirates On Demand (Listen Live) TuneIn Radio Online (within the app search ECU or Pirate IMG Sports Network) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  | UConn |
| @ECUScoreboard | |
