ECU Host Charlotte In Sunday Matinee

Game 12: vs. Charlotte 49ers
Date:	Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019
Time:	4 p.m. EST
Location:	Greenville, N.C. (Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum)
Live Game Coverage:	Radio: WRHD 94.3 FM \| TuneIn Radio Online Stream: ESPN3
Internet Options:	Live Stats
Game Notes:	ECU (PDF) \| Charlotte \| The American (PDF)

East Carolina and Charlotte will square off for the sixth straight season and 10^th time this decade when the Pirates host the 49ers Sunday at 4 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

ECU will look to extend its winning streak to three games after wins over Campbell and Maryland-Eastern Shore, while ending a three-game skid against its cross-state foe.

The Pirates jumped out to a 35-16 halftime lead over UMES Tuesday night and held on for a 71-57 win behind double-double performances from Jayden Gardner and Brandon Suggs.

Gardner finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Suggs added 10 points and grabbed 10 boards for the first double-double performance of his career. Suggs also handed out a season-best six assists.

ECU held the Hawks to 35.3 percent shooting to improve to 4-0 this season when keeping its opponent under 40 percent from the field. It also kept its opponent from scoring more than 70 points for the second straight game after yielding 85 or more in each of the previous two games against Coppin State and James Madison.

"I thought our defensive intensity to start the game was good," ECU Head Coach Joe Dooley said. "We're weren't giving up anything, we were contesting; even when we made mistakes we scrambled around."

After posting his sixth 20-point game of the season Tuesday, Gardner raised his average to an American Athletic Conference-best 20.1 points per game. He leads the conference in Player Efficiency Rating (30.7) and is third in field goal percentage (.583) and fifth in rebounds per game (9.0).

Gardner leads the all Division I players with 73 made free throws.

Suggs and junior college transfer Tyrie Jackson are each averaging 10.9 points per game for ECU, which owns the second-best free throw percentage in The American at 75.2 percent.

Oddly, Charlotte is also coming off a victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore as the 49ers rolled to their third straight win 66-44 Thursday.

Jordan Sheppard, a transfer from Oklahoma and the 49ers' leading scorer qt 16.2 points per game, led the way with 20 points and freshman Jahmir Young added 10. Senior Amidou Bamba pulled 11 rebounds.

Young (10.8) and graduate transfer Drew Edwards (10.3) are also averaging double-digit points per game

In addition to their shared victories over UMES, ECU and Charlotte share road losses to a pair of common opponents, James Madison and Appalachian State.

Coach by Ron Sanchez, former assistant coach at Virginia under Tony Bennett, Charlotte is holding its opponents to 63.5 points per game. The 49ers have held their opponents under 60 five times, all wins, but have surrendered 79 or more in their three losses.

A year ago, Charlotte posted a 55-49 win over the Pirates in the Queen City. Gardner, the only remaining Pirate to have played in the game, had 11 points and six rebounds.

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Players Mentioned

Jayden Gardner

Tyrie Jackson

Brandon Suggs

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