ECU Set For Sunday Road Challenge At Cincinnati

Game Seven: East Carolina at Cincinnati
The Game	Dec. 20 \\\ Noon \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venue	Fifth-Third Arena (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Information	Game Notes \\\ Record Book \\\ 2020-21 Quick Facts
Statistics	East Carolina \\\ Cincinnati
Social Media	Twitter \\\ Instagram \\\ TikTok \\\ #OnePirateNation

GREENVILLE, N.C. – After opening its American Athletic Conference slate with a come-from-behind road win over SMU, East Carolina remains away from home for its second league affair when it travels to the Buckeye State for a Sunday afternoon matchup with Cincinnati at Fifth-Third Arena. The contest is scheduled for a Noon tip and will be streamed live via ESPN+.

The Pirates have won two-straight games and are 3-3 overall with victories over Virginia, VCU and SMU as well as losses to Towson, Georgia and Duke.

Trailing the Mustangs by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday, ECU out-scored SMU 17-4 in the final stanza to seal the victory. Sierra DaCosta nailed a three-pointer with 13 seconds left on the clock to give the Pirates the lead for good. East Carolina forced SMU into 24 turnovers and generated 15 steals – leading to 23 points off of those miscues.

Tiara Chambers matched her career-high scoring output with 14 points while adding nine rebounds and four blocks. It marked the second-straight outing with four rejections for the Virginia native. Senior guard Lashonda Monk also reached double figures in the scoring column, netting 13 points to go along with five assists and six steals.

The Pirates are averaging 55.8 points, 32.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 13.8 steals, 3.2 blocks and 15.8 turnovers per game. The Pirates lead the American Conference in both steals per game and turnover margin (+7.00) while ranking fourth nationally in total steals as well as seventh in steals per game.

ECU boasts three players averaging double figures in the scoring column - Monk (12.0), DaCosta (10.8) and Taniyah Thompson (10.3). Additionally, Chambers paces the AAC in blocked shots per game (2.2) while also slotting fifth in offensive rebounds per outing (3.2) and ninth in rebounding average (6.8). Additionally, Dominique Claytor is tied for the league lead in steals per game (3.0) and is 13th in the country in total steals (18).

Scouting Cincinnati
Cincinnati opens its American Conference schedule later than planned as its opener at Houston was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within the Cougar program. The Bearcats are 1-3 overall with a lone win over Northern Kentucky and losses to Florida, Marquette and Central Michigan. IImar'I Thomas, the 2020-21 AAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, leads Cincinnati, the league and is second in the nation in scoring average at 28.5 points per game. She is also putting up a team-high seven rebounds per outing while shooting .657 from the field. As a unit, the Bearcats are averaging 67 points, 36.3 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 18.0 turnovers, 8.5 steals and 5.3 blocks per game and are shooting the ball at a .429 clip from the field. Michelle Clark-Heard is in her third season as Cincinnati's head coach.

The Cincinnati Series
East Carolina is 9-8 against Cincinnati in a series that dates back to 1983. The Bearcats took the lone meeting between the programs last season by a 76-53 margin at Fifth-Third Arena and have won three of the last four encounters. The last Pirate victory was a 79-70 decision back on Jan. 27, 2018 in Cincinnati. East Carolina is 3-5 versus the Bearcats on the road.

Welcome Addition
East Carolina received a boost Wednesday evening when the NCAA granted immediate eligibility to all Division I transfers. Junior Maddie Moore, a 6-3 forward who joined the squad after two years at UNC Charlotte, will now be able to suit up for the Purple and Gold. During her time as a 49er, Moore played in 43 games and scored a career-best 10 points against Middle Tennessee State. In high school, she led Westridge Academy to a 32-3 overall record and No. 19 national ranking as a senior.

Comeback Queens
In its last two wins, ECU has overcome fourth-quarter deficits. The Pirates trailed VCU by six after the third period and outscored the Rams 16-7 the rest of the way to grab a three-point victory. On the road at SMU, the Mustangs were ahead by 11 in the fourth stanza, but ECU won the quarter 17-4 to start league play on a triumphant note.

Signature Defense
After allowing 89 points to Towson in the season opener, East Carolina has done a great job of keeping its foes off of the scoreboard. In their last five games, the Pirates have been limiting the opposition to just 58 points per contest. Included in the stretch are three teams from the "Power Five" leagues in Virginia, Georgia and Duke.

Low Points
The Pirates limited Virginia to just two points in the first quarter Nov. 29. That marks the second time under head coach Kim McNeill that East Carolina has held an opponent to two points in a quarter - the other was the second stanza in a 59-42 win over Tulsa Feb. 19, 2020 at Minges Coliseum.

Up Next
ECU returns home Tuesday, Dec. 22, for an American Athletic Conference game against Tulane. Tipoff inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum is slated for Noon with ESPN+ handling the broadcast.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tiara Chambers

Dominique Claytor

Sierra DaCosta

Lashonda Monk

Maddie Moore

Taniyah Thompson

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