ECU Preps For Trip To UNCW

Game 12: East Carolina (5-6) at UNCW (2-6)
The Game	December 19 \\\ 2 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Live
Venue	Trask Coliseum (Wilmington, N.C.)
2021-22 Statistics	East Carolina \| UNCW
Information	ECU Notes
Social Media	Twitter \\\ Instagram \\\ TikTok \\\ #OnePirateNation

GREENVILLE, N.C. – It will be another chance for a road victory when the East Carolina women's basketball team travels to UNCW for a Sunday matinee. ECU (5-6) continued its road struggles on Thursday night, falling at North Carolina A&T 75-59.

The Pirates shot well in the first quarter, but the Aggies scored 25 points in the second frame thanks to 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range and never looked back from there. Taniyah Thompson led the Pirates offensively, finishing with 22 points, including hitting four three-pointers. The junior guard has now scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games and has reached that mark a team-high four times this season. Thompson leads the AAC in points with 175 and is third in the league in points per game at 15.9.

East Carolina's 59 points against the Aggies was its highest total in a road game, but the Pirates still are looking to improve their shooting on the road. ECU is shooting just .337 from the floor on the road compared to .405 at home. The Pirates also make double the amount of free throws at home (16.0 per game) compared to on the road (8.0). The Pirates have been consistent in getting extra opportunities though, both through steals and offensive rebounds. ECU ranks seventh in the NCAA in steals with 134. Thompson, Danae McNeal and Alexsia Rose all lead the team and are ranked 99th in the country with 21 steals this season. Rose is also 51st in the nation in assists with 47 after picking up seven more against NC A&T. The Pirates are also 11th in the country in turnovers forced per game, at 23.36 and 21st in offensive rebounds per game, with 15.9.

UNCW (2-6) is led by a familiar face in Sierra DaCosta. DaCosta spent two seasons at ECU, playing for the Pirates in 2020-21 after sitting out in 2019-20 due to NCAA transfer rules. DaCosta arrived in Greenville after three seasons spent with Coach Kim McNeill and her staff at Hartford. She is currently averaging a team-high 13.3 points for the Seahawks while also grabbing a team-best 11 steals and ranking third with 12 assists. Carrie Gross is the other Seahawk averaging double-figures, scoring 11.0 points per game. UNCW excels at keeping teams off the free throw line and shooting from deep. The Seahawks are 52nd in the country in fewest fouls, fouling just 128 times while ranking 61th in three-point percentage, shooting 35.1% from beyond the arc. UNCW is also in the top-100 of the nation in free-throw percentage (64th, 75.0%) and fewest turnovers (90th, 135).

The Pirates hold a 30-23 edge in the all-time series, but the Seahawks won the two most recent editions of the rivalry between the two former CAA adversaries. UNCW won 66-62 at home in 2017 before taking a 71-68 victory in Greenville in 2018. Since East Carolina left the CAA in the 2001-02 season, the series has been even as UNCW holds a slight 6-5 edge in the 11 matchups since 2004. East Carolina is 11-13 all-time in Wilmington, having last won there in 2008. The Seahawks have won the last two matchups on their home court and four of five since the series became a non-conference matchup. It will also be the second battle against a CAA opponent for ECU this year, with the Pirates falling to Towson 66-51.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., on Sunday afternoon at UNCW's Trask Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on FloSports and fans can follow the live stats here.

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Players Mentioned

Sierra DaCosta

Danae McNeal

Alexsia Rose

Taniyah Thompson

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