East Carolina University
Memphis
Memphis Spoils Senior Day At ECU
March 06, 2016 | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Senior Day didn't go as according to plan at East Carolina Sunday afternoon.
Memphis spoiled the going away party inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum for seniors Kanu Aja, Drew Bost, Marshall Guilmette, Peyton Robbins, Prince Williams and Michael Zangari by taking down East Carolina 83-53.
"This was a disappointing end to our home season especially for our seniors," ECU Head Coach Jeff Lebo said. "Give Memphis credit they played well but we helped them in a lot of areas giving them the ball as much as we did.
Memphis shot 54 percent and held East Carolina (12-19, 4-14) to 38 percent, scored 32 points off 22 turnovers and enjoyed a 42-28 advantage in the paint to end the Pirates' two-game series winning streak.
Four players finished in double figures for the Tigers led by junior Avery Woodson, who made six 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 20 points. Shaq Goodwin added 17 points, Dedric Lawson had 14 and Trashon Burrell netted 13.
East Carolina led 20-18 midway through the first half, but after Woodson tied the game with a layup the Tigers never trailed again as it started a 19-2 run with Woodson scoring 11 points during the spurt.
Goodwin made the Tigers' final three field goals of the half and they led by 15 at intermission, 41-26.
The Pirates scored the first four points of the second half to get within 11,43-32, but Memphis scored eight unanswered with two 3s from Woodson and a basket from Ricky Tarrant.
After Michel Nzege cut the lead to 11 two minutes into the second half, Memphis outscored East Carolina 25-6 over the next 10 minutes and its lead peaked at 35 points.
"We've taken good care of the ball, our assist to turnover ratio has been good, we've had good decision making, our passing has been good and we did none of that today," Lebo said. "It was puzzling to watch us play."
Sophomore B.J. Tyson led the Pirates with 12 points and Nzege netted 11. Junior Caleb White added 10 points to become the eighth player in school history to score 1,200 points.
The Tigers are the No. 6 seed and play third-seeded Tulsa in an AAC tournament quarterfinal on Friday night. East Carolina is the eighth seed and faces No. 9 South Florida in Thursday's first round.
