Photo by: Rob Goldberg
ECU Beats Delaware State In Coach Dooley's Return
November 07, 2018 | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Pirates welcomed coach Joe Dooley back to the sidelines with an 81-56 season-opening victory over Delaware State in his first game since coaching the Pirates from 1995-99.
Isaac Fleming and Seth LeDay each scored 12 points and ECU won its season opener for the 19th consecutive year.
ECU has now won 17th straight home openers and Dooley moved 5-0 in his first game of the season inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
"It always feels great [when you win]," Fleming said. "It's a great feeling, starting off on the right foot and we are just trying to keep running with this momentum."
After a back-and-forth battle through the first 15 minutes, ECU (1-0) asserted itself by ending the first half on a 12-4 run, with all 12 points being scored by freshman Tae Hardy or sophomore Justin Whatley, to take a 37-29 lead into the locker room.
Hardy started the spurt with a 4-point play before Whatley knocked in his first of two 3s during the run to put the Pirates up by seven. The two teams traded baskets in the final three minutes of the opening half with Whatley's second 3-pointer putting ECU up by eight.
Whatley finished with a career-high 10 points while Hardy added 11 in his collegiate debut.
The Pirates extended their lead to 18 early in the second half making 5 of 7 shots to start the frame and forcing four turnovers in the opening 6:29.
The lead ballooned to 20 with 9:27 remaining before resting with a final margin of 25.
After shooting just 28 percent in the first 15 minutes, ECU blistered the nets at 54.3 percent clip in the final 25, making 19 of its final 35 attempts.
"I thought our young guys got a little sped up trying to make plays as opposed to letting them come to them," Dooley said. "But, I thought once we settled down in the second half we showed some pretty good poise."
ECU asserted itself defensively in the second half as well, forcing 12 turnovers and collecting eight steals. In all the Pirates scored 22 points of 20 Hornets' miscues and held Delaware State (0-1) to just 33.3 percent from the field.
Seven players scored eight or more points for ECU and nine played 16 or more minutes as a part of a balanced attack.
Saliek Edwards, a native of Winterville, N.C., led the Hornets with 22 points.
ECU returns to action Friday, Nov. 9, against former CAA rival James Madison. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 7:45 p.m.
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Isaac Fleming and Seth LeDay each scored 12 points and ECU won its season opener for the 19th consecutive year.
ECU has now won 17th straight home openers and Dooley moved 5-0 in his first game of the season inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
"It always feels great [when you win]," Fleming said. "It's a great feeling, starting off on the right foot and we are just trying to keep running with this momentum."
After a back-and-forth battle through the first 15 minutes, ECU (1-0) asserted itself by ending the first half on a 12-4 run, with all 12 points being scored by freshman Tae Hardy or sophomore Justin Whatley, to take a 37-29 lead into the locker room.
Hardy started the spurt with a 4-point play before Whatley knocked in his first of two 3s during the run to put the Pirates up by seven. The two teams traded baskets in the final three minutes of the opening half with Whatley's second 3-pointer putting ECU up by eight.
Whatley finished with a career-high 10 points while Hardy added 11 in his collegiate debut.
The Pirates extended their lead to 18 early in the second half making 5 of 7 shots to start the frame and forcing four turnovers in the opening 6:29.
The lead ballooned to 20 with 9:27 remaining before resting with a final margin of 25.
After shooting just 28 percent in the first 15 minutes, ECU blistered the nets at 54.3 percent clip in the final 25, making 19 of its final 35 attempts.
"I thought our young guys got a little sped up trying to make plays as opposed to letting them come to them," Dooley said. "But, I thought once we settled down in the second half we showed some pretty good poise."
ECU asserted itself defensively in the second half as well, forcing 12 turnovers and collecting eight steals. In all the Pirates scored 22 points of 20 Hornets' miscues and held Delaware State (0-1) to just 33.3 percent from the field.
Seven players scored eight or more points for ECU and nine played 16 or more minutes as a part of a balanced attack.
Saliek Edwards, a native of Winterville, N.C., led the Hornets with 22 points.
ECU returns to action Friday, Nov. 9, against former CAA rival James Madison. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 7:45 p.m.
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