Pirates' Struggles Against SMU Continues

Wednesday, February 21

Greenville, N.C.

7 P.M.

East Carolina University

10-16, 4-11

SMU

16-12, 6-9

SMU

ECU

Photo by: Rob Goldberg

February 21, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame: Coach Perry Photo Gallery

RESULT
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Five players scored double figures to help SMU end its five-game losing streak and earn its eighth straight win over ECU, 77-58, Wednesday night inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

TURNING POINT
SMU (16-12, 6-10) opened the game on an 11-0 run and the Pirates never seriously threatened. ECU (10-16, 4-11) got within six at 12-6, but the Mustangs scored 14 unanswered point and led by 20, 26-6, with 8:48 to play in the first half. The closest the Pirates got in the second half was 13, 43-30, four minutes following intermission.

ECU PLAYER-OF-THE-GAME
Isaac Fleming scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-7 outside the 3-point arc. He also grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists in 37 minutes of action.

SMU PLAYER-OF-THE-GAME
Jahmal McMurray led SMU with 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting, knocking down 6-of-9 3-point attempts. McMurray also scored 20 points in the first meeting of the season with ECU. McMurray is 15-of-29 from the field and 10-of-14 outside the 3-point arc against the Pirates this season.

KEY PERFORMERS
Senior B.J. Tyson became the sixth player in school history to score 1,500 career points, dropping 14 points on the Mustangs to bring his career total to 1,506 … Shawn Williams distributed a career-high five assists … K.J Davis collected three steals off the bench.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior Kentrell Barkley was issued a double technical foul and ejected from the game with 12:31 remaining … SMU shot 55.2 percent in the first half, while ECU converted just 28.0 percent of its first half field goal attempts and the Mustangs led 41-23 at halftime … SMU finished the game shooting 46.6 percent and the Pirates shot 34.5 percent … SMU made 11-of-21 3-point attempts (.524) and held ECU to 27.6 percent (8-of-29) outside the arc … SMU won the rebounding battle, 39-30 … The Mustangs scored 19 points off 13 ECU turnovers.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"We came out flat, distracted and as a coach you scratch your head sometimes and try to figure out how something like this happen, particularly with our team because we've been playing really good basketball lately. That's what's disappointing because you don't see this coming… To come out tonight with a lackluster approach to start the game was very disappointing." – ECU Interim Head Coach Michael Perry

UP NEXT
ECU returns to action Sunday, Feb. 25, against Houston at the HP&E Arena on the campus of Texas Southern University in Houston.