Pirates Return To Action At UCF

Game 14: East Carolina at UCF
The Game	Jan. 27 \\\ 5:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venue	Addition Financial Arena (Orlando, Fla.)
Information	Game Notes \\\ Record Book \\\ 2020-21 Quick Facts
Statistics	East Carolina \\\ UCF
Social Media	Twitter \\\ Instagram \\\ TikTok \\\ #OnePirateNation

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Following a week off from competition, East Carolina resumes its American Athletic Conference schedule Wednesday evening at UCF. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tipoff and will be streamed live via ESPN+ with Scott Adams and Despina Barton on the call.

The Pirates and Knights faced off just two weeks ago in Greenville with UCF pulling away in the final minutes for a 58-51 victory. ECU is searching for its first win since knocking off Tulane back on Dec. 22 and its first triumph on the road since defeating Cincinnati 74-67 on Dec. 19. The Pirates (5-8) are 3-5 in league play, good for sixth place in the standings.

In its most recent outing, East Carolina dropped a 68-54 decision to Tulsa on the road as the Golden Hurricane ended the contest on a 14-0 run to break a 54-54 deadlock in the fourth quarter. Lashonda Monk, who was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll, posted her fourth career double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. She paces the squad in scoring average and is fourth in the league at 15.4 points per game. Taniyah Thompson (11.7) and Sierra DaCosta (10.4) are also putting up double figures in the scoring column.

The Pirates lead the American Conference in steals per game (11.6) and are second in turnover margin (+4.7). Nationally, ECU ranks ninth in total steals (151), 16th in steals per game, 28th in turnovers forced per game (20.62) and 34th in turnover margin.

Scouting UCF
UCF heads into the weekend in second place in the American Conference standings, owning an 8-2 overall record and 6-1 league mark. The Knights' lone loss in AAC play occurred at Temple. UCF's stingy defense was on display against Houston Saturday as the Knights picked up a 50-38 road victory over the Cougars at the Fertitta Center. Courtajia Sanders leads the team in scoring average (11.3 points per game) followed close behind by Diamond Battles who is putting up 10.9 per contest. As a team, UCF is averaging 57.2 points, 37.5 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 19.7 turnovers, 9.8 steals and 3.1 blocks a game. The Knights rank fourth nationally in scoring defense, holding their foes to just 49.3 points per game, and are also eighth in field goal percentage defense (.331).

The UCF Series
After UCF's 58-51 win in Greenville earlier this month, East Carolina leads the series between the schools by a 13-11 margin. The Pirates are 4-8 against the Knights in Orlando, but haven't won there since 2016 when they picked up a 71-56 victory. UCF has won the last five meetings.

American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship
The 2021 and 2022 American Women's Basketball Championships will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The 14,000-seat arena, which opened in the Fall of 2019, features two premium club spaces, 40 suites, 32 loge boxes and a warmup arena that can stage a full practice court. The American basketball tournaments are scheduled to be held in the same city and venue for the first time in conference history. The 2021 women's tournament will feature each of the league's 11 teams in a single-elimination tournament. Three first-round games will take place on Monday, March 8, followed by four quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday, March 9. The semifinal contests will be played on Wednesday, March 10, with the championship game slated for Thursday, March 11.

Up Next
East Carolina hosts Tulsa Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the second leg of a men's-women's basketball doubleheader inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

Players Mentioned

Sierra DaCosta

Lashonda Monk

Taniyah Thompson

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