Defense Pushes ECU Past Coppin State 75-44

Tuesday, November 23

Greenville, N.C.

6 PM

East Carolina University

3-3,0-0AAC

Coppin State

2-3,0-0MEAC

Coppin St.

East Carolina

Photo by: Houston McCullough

November 23, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – A suffocating defensive effort propelled the East Carolina women's basketball team to a 75-44 victory over visiting Coppin State on Tuesday night.

East Carolina improves to 3-3 on the season, with a 3-0 record inside Minges Coliseum while Coppin State falls to 2-3 on the year.

How It Happened

The Pirates wasted little time getting out to a good start. Danae McNeal scored the game's first six points and ECU jumped out to a 10-2 lead. A 10-5 run from Coppin State cut the lead back to three at 15-12, but Synia Johnson hit a trio of free throws and then Taniyah Thompson found Morgan Moseley for a jumper as the quarter expired to make it 22-12 after one.
The Pirate defense upped its intensity in the second quarter, holding Coppin State to just 4-of-17 (.235) shooting. Back-to-back buckets from McNeal and Da'Ja Green made it 32-17 at the media timeout, but that was just the start. The Pirates scored the next 10 points, holding Coppin State scoreless for more than five minutes. The Eagles got a hint of life by scoring the final five points of the half to make it 42-22 at the break, the largest halftime lead of the season for East Carolina.
The third quarter was much like the second, with East Carolina suffocating any offensive chances for the Eagles. The Pirates held Coppin State to just 3-of-13 (.231) shooting in the frame. A pair of Thompson free throws with two seconds remaining, her fifth and sixth points of the quarter, made it 57-31.
The Pirates extended their lead all the way out to 31, at 64-33 when Tylar Bennett found Chambers for a layup. From there, the Pirates were able to cruise to the finish line for the biggest victory of the year.

Leading Pirates

Tiara Chambers tallied her second career double-double and the first of the season for any Pirate, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds while also rejecting three Coppin State shots.
Danae McNeal led the Pirates in scoring for the second straight game and the third time this season, finishing with 13 points to go with four rebounds.
Taniyah Thompson reached double figures for the fifth time in six games, scoring 12 points and adding seven rebounds and tying her career-high with four assists.
Tylar Bennett had her best game in a Pirate uniform, scoring six points, grabbing six rebounds, swatting three shots and handing out three assists.
Da'Ja Green tied her career-high (set at Wofford) with four steals while Synia Johnson had three steals of her own, helping the Pirates turn 25 Coppin State turnovers into 20 points.
The Pirates dominated in the paint and on the glass. The Pirates outscored the Eagles 36-16 in the painted area and outrebounded Coppin State 47-32, with the 47 rebounds tying the season-high which came in the opener at Middle Tennessee.
The 31.5% shooting from the floor (17-of-54) and the 44 points for Coppin State were both season-lows for an ECU opponent.
Laila Acox made her season debut for the Pirates after an injury layoff, scoring four points.

Coach McNeill and Tiara Chambers on the victory

Up Next

The Pirates will have some time off for the Thanksgiving holidays, but will return to action on Sunday afternoon when they host Campbell. Tipoff for that game is slated for 1 p.m., inside Minges Coliseum.