Monday, February 8
Greenville, N.C.
5:00 P.M.
East Carolina University
8-8,2-8AAC
56
vs
71
SMU
11-4,7-4AAC
1
2
F
SMU
30
41
71
East Carolina
24
32
56
Strong Finish Pushes SMU Past The Pirates
February 08, 2021 | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C.— Kendric Davis scored 25 points as SMU beat East Carolina 71-56 on Monday.
Tyson Jolly had 11 points and six rebounds for SMU (11-4, 7-4 American Athletic Conference). Feron Hunt added nine rebounds.
The Mustangs finished the game on a 22-7 run after the Pirates (8-8, 2-8) battled from 10 down (47-37) to tie the game at 49-all with 8:23 remaining.
SMU responded with a 10-1 spurt, getting five points from Davis and four free throws from Jolly during the run. ECU pulled within seven, 61-54, with 3:15 remaining but Davis scored four consecutive points to push the Mustangs' lead back to double figures with 1:55 to play.
"Davis dominated the game, I thought, on both ends," Pirate head coach Joe Dooley said. "He gets easy baskets."
ECU built a 14-4 lead in the first nine minutes, but the Mustangs used a 22-2 run over a near eight-minute stretch to flip the deficit into a 10-point advantage, 26-16.
The Pirates finished the game shooting 30.2 percent from the field and made only 2 of 14 outside the 3-point arc, while SMU shot 42.9 percent overall and made 19 of 20 free throw attempts.
"Our offense was terrible," Dooley said. "We're 3-for-27 from 3 (the last two games combined). We looked like we were running in sand. I did think we battled back and when we got it to 49-all we got a little bit of a rhythm, but then it was untimely missed layups and untimely missed free throws and untimely turnovers. When you're playing and especially on easy shots like (missed) layups, it just takes all the momentum away from you."
Jayden Gardner had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Pirates. J.J. Miles added 11 points and six rebounds.
"It's very frustrating not to be able to get the ball to go in the basket," Gardner said. "At the end of the day the other team is going to score. You've got to be able to score on offense and match it a little bit. We've just got to be prepared, ready to make shots. It's a make or miss league and that's as simple as I can put it. Right now, we're really hot or we are ice cold and there's got to be some middle ground."
The Pirates return to the hardwood Thursday against Temple in Philadelphia. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
Tyson Jolly had 11 points and six rebounds for SMU (11-4, 7-4 American Athletic Conference). Feron Hunt added nine rebounds.
The Mustangs finished the game on a 22-7 run after the Pirates (8-8, 2-8) battled from 10 down (47-37) to tie the game at 49-all with 8:23 remaining.
SMU responded with a 10-1 spurt, getting five points from Davis and four free throws from Jolly during the run. ECU pulled within seven, 61-54, with 3:15 remaining but Davis scored four consecutive points to push the Mustangs' lead back to double figures with 1:55 to play.
"Davis dominated the game, I thought, on both ends," Pirate head coach Joe Dooley said. "He gets easy baskets."
ECU built a 14-4 lead in the first nine minutes, but the Mustangs used a 22-2 run over a near eight-minute stretch to flip the deficit into a 10-point advantage, 26-16.
The Pirates finished the game shooting 30.2 percent from the field and made only 2 of 14 outside the 3-point arc, while SMU shot 42.9 percent overall and made 19 of 20 free throw attempts.
"Our offense was terrible," Dooley said. "We're 3-for-27 from 3 (the last two games combined). We looked like we were running in sand. I did think we battled back and when we got it to 49-all we got a little bit of a rhythm, but then it was untimely missed layups and untimely missed free throws and untimely turnovers. When you're playing and especially on easy shots like (missed) layups, it just takes all the momentum away from you."
Jayden Gardner had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Pirates. J.J. Miles added 11 points and six rebounds.
"It's very frustrating not to be able to get the ball to go in the basket," Gardner said. "At the end of the day the other team is going to score. You've got to be able to score on offense and match it a little bit. We've just got to be prepared, ready to make shots. It's a make or miss league and that's as simple as I can put it. Right now, we're really hot or we are ice cold and there's got to be some middle ground."
The Pirates return to the hardwood Thursday against Temple in Philadelphia. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Gardner became the eighth player in ECU history to score 1,400 career points and 15th player in American Athletic Conference history. Gardner has 1,404 points in 78 career games.
- Gardner moved into fifth-place on The American's career free throws made list with 411. He made a season-high 11 free throws tonight against the Mustangs.
- Gardner scored more than 20 points for the fifth straight game.
- Miles scored double figures for the third time in the last four games and the seventh time overall this season.
- Miles was credited with a season-high three steals, matching his career-high.
- Brandon Suggs set a new career-high for blocks with three.
Team Stats
SMU
ECU
FG%
.429
.302
3FG%
.182
.143
FT%
.950
.710
RB
38
36
TO
16
14
STL
6
6
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
11
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
7
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF/G
/ Men's BasketballECU Head Men's Basketball Coach Mike Schwartz Media Day
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Mike Schwartz Presser
Thursday, October 10
Inside Pirate Athletics (Feb. 26, 2024)
Tuesday, February 27
ECU Presser vs Charlotte
Saturday, February 03
