ECU Returns To Court After Pause Against Memphis

Game 11: East Carolina vs. Memphis
Date \| Time	Jan. 24, 2021 \| 4 p.m. ET
Location	Greenville, N.C. (Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum)
Game Program	Hoops Digest #4
Live Game Coverage	TV: ESPN2 Stream: ESPN3 Radio: WRHD 94.3 FM \| TuneIn Radio Online
Live Stats	Sidearm Stats
Statistics	ECU \| Memphis
Game Notes	ECU \| Memphis
Social Media	Facebook \| Twitter \| Instagram \| YouTube \| #OnePirateNation

A 15-day layoff ends Sunday for the East Carolina men's basketball, at least for most of the Pirates.

ECU will return to action for the first time since Jan. 9 when the Pirates host Memphis inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN2). East Carolina missed a trio of games the past two weeks due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Pirates will be without multiple players and their head coach on Sunday when they host the Tigers.

"I'm out, I can tell you that," Dooley said. "We've got some guys that'll definitely be out, we've got some guys in contact tracing that'll be out."

Associate head coach Steve Roccaforte will coach the team while Dooley continues to quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 last weekend.

"As a head coach, I haven't missed a game in 25-plus years," Dooley said. "It's different. It's different for our guys. If we play Memphis on Sunday, it's three games in 33 days. So, everything is different for everybody."

The Tigers come into Sunday's game at 7-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play. They posted a 72-52 win over Wichita State on Thursday after falling to Tulsa four days earlier following a 19-day hiatus due to COVID-19.

Memphis is one of the top defensive teams in The American, ranking among the top 3 in scoring defense, field goal percent defense, 3-point field goal percent defense and rebounding margin. The Tigers have held their opponents to an average of 62.6 points per game, while out-bounding them by more than seven rebounds per contest.

ECU is one of the conference's top shooting teams, ranking among the top three in field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. The Pirates are shooting seven percent higher outside the arc this season than they were a year ago.

They are 7-0 this season when shooting over 40 percent from the field.

Tristen Newton had 23 points and 13 rebounds against the Tigers at the FedExForum last season with Jayden Gardner adding 16 and Bitumba Baruti netting 14. ECU trailed 49-33 but mounted a fierce rally to tie the game at 69-all with just over two minutes remaining before falling 77-73.

Gardner is averaging more than 15 points and six rebounds in his career against Memphis. He currently ranks fifth in the conference in scoring and rebounding with Newton and Tremont Robinson-White each among the top 4 in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio. Brandon Suggs has the second-highest 3-point field goal percentage (.478).

Players Mentioned

Jayden Gardner

Tremont Robinson-White

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