Cold Shooting Costs ECU Against Memphis

Saturday, February 6

Memphis, Tenn.

2:00 P.M.

East Carolina University

8-7,2-7AAC

Memphis

12-6,8-3AAC

East Carolina

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

February 06, 2021 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

From staff and wire reports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Alex Lomax tallied 10 points and nine assists to carry Memphis to a 66-59 win over East Carolina on Saturday.

Landers Nolley II had 12 points for Memphis (12-6, 8-3 American Athletic Conference), which earned its sixth consecutive home victory. D.J. Jeffries added 12 points. DeAndre Williams had eight rebounds.

The Tigers outscored ECU (8-7, 2-7) 13-5 in the game's final four minutes. After Nolley made 1 of 2 free throws to tie at game at 54-all, Lomax and Jefferies scored consecutive buckets to give Memphis a four-point cushion.

Jayden Gardner made two free throws with 54 seconds to play to cut the Pirates' deficit to two, 61-59.

Lomax then found Lester Quinones in the corner for the game-clinching 3 with 26 seconds remaining and a five-point advantage.

ECU came up empty on its next possession and fouled Jeffries, who made both free throws.

Memphis outscored the Pirates 24-3 behind the arc as the Tigers sank 8 of 22 (.364), while ECU made just 1 of 13 (.777) attempts from 3.

The Pirates trailed by 13 early in the first half and were down nine at halftime, 35-26, but opened the second half on a 17-4 run and led by four, 43-39, seven minutes into the second stanza. ECU led 47-41 before the Tigers scored six unanswered to tie the game with 8:20 to play.

Five lead changes and three ties ensued before Memphis took the lead for good.

Gardner had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Pirates, who were coming off an upset of No. 5 Houston on Wednesday night. It was their first win over a ranked team in almost two decades and the highest-ranked team they ever beat. Brandon Suggs added 10 points.

POSTGAME NOTES

ECU lost for just the second time this season when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent (ECU .426, Memphis .385). The Pirates are 8-2 when shooting better than their opponent.
Despite making just one 3-point field goal, ECU tied Cornell for the 17th-longest streak in country by making a 3 in its 885th consecutive game.
Gardner posted his fourth consecutive 20-point game and missed his third consecutive double-double by one rebound.
Gardner made seven free throws to bring his career total to 400, becoming the third person in school history and eighth person in league history to reach the mark.
Gardner moved into eighth place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,383 points.
Suggs returned to the court after missing the Houston game on Wednesday due to injury.