Gameday: Pirates Face High-Scoring Tigers on Beale Street

Game 15: at Memphis Tigers
Date:	Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019
Time:	9 p.m. (ET) / 8 p.m. (CT)
Location:	Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
Live Game Coverage:	Radio: WNCT 107.9 FM \| TuneIn Radio Online Video Stream: ESPNU
Internet Options:	Live Stats
Game Notes:	ECU \| Memphis \| The American

Coming off a marquee win over Cincinnati on Saturday, the Pirates head to Memphis to face the Tigers on Thursday night. It's the first of two meetings between the teams this season and 23^rd all-time. ECU and Memphis split their two games last season with each team winning on its home court.

The Pirates, who are 4-2 in their last six, posted some of their best shooting numbers of the season Saturday, knocking down a season-high 51.1 percent of their field goal attempts (24-of-47) along with burying 40.9 percent (9-of-22) shots outside the arc.

Sophomores K.J. Davis and Shawn Williams provided the ammunition from beyond the arc, hitting a combined 7-of-15.

Williams ranks second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game (ppg) behind freshman Jayden Gardner, who ranks fourth in The American with 18.4 ppg to go along with 8.9 rebounds per game. Davis has scored double figures in four of his last five games, dropping a career-high 17 on Cincinnati.

In its last four wins, ECU has scored more than 70 points, shot over 46 percent from the floor and held its opponent to less than 25 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.

It owns the nation's third-ranked 3-point field goal percent defense, holding the opposition to 26.2 percent shooting.

Memphis returns home following a 90-77 loss at Houston on Sunday in which they were held under 80 points for the first time in nine games. The Tigers average 84.5 ppg, tops in The American and 19^th nationally.

Leading the way offensively is senior forward Kyron Davenport, who is averaging 15.4 ppg. The team's number two and three scorers are Memphis natives Jeremiah Martin (14.7 ppg) and Tyler Harris (13.4 ppg).

"Memphis is really fast and very athletic," ECU Head Coach Joe Dooley said. "Penny wants to get up and down. They do play fast and they're very athletic. It really transitions well into what they have. Their guards are good and explosive."

Thursday night's game will be the Pirates' second conference road game of the young season and first of two this week. ECU's next game will be at UCF on Sunday.

Gameday: Pirates Face High-Scoring Tigers on Beale Street

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Players Mentioned

K.J. Davis

Jayden Gardner

Shawn Williams

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