Joyner, Pirates Down Hampton Late, 64-60

Wednesday, December 21

Hampton, Va.

3 PM

East Carolina University

9-4

Hampton

3-7

East Carolina

Hampton

December 21, 2022 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Stats (Web)

HAMPTON, Va. – The East Carolina women's basketball team defeated the Hampton Lady Pirates, 64-60, on Wednesday at the Hampton Convocation Center. Amiya Joyner starred in the tight, physical ballgame which saw the Pirates lead for only six minutes.

The game was an adventurous one which saw a pair of technical fouls assessed to East Carolina (9-4) in the second half – assessed to coach Kim McNeill and Joyner. The Pirates trailed Hampton (3-7) for over 25 minutes of the game, including almost the entirety of the second half, but that can all be thrown out with the late resurgence led by, as is often the case, the Pirates' signature pressure defense.

The Pirates leveled the game for the first time in the second half with just 1:50 remaining and did not take the lead until there were under two minutes to play. It was not a lead ECU would keep, however; Hampton answered, and the teams found themselves tied at 60 with under a minute left – Hampton ball.

The home team drew up a play and made their drive for the lead but Morgan Moseley – who played well with nine points and five boards – made her biggest play of the season, stepping in to take the charge and give ECU the ball with only 29.5 seconds to play.

The Pirates held the ball down to take their shot, a post look for Joyner which bounced tantalizingly on the rim before falling into the hoop. ECU lead, 62-60, with 2.1 seconds to play.

Hampton called timeout to advance the ball before Synia Johnson made a remarkable defensive play to deflect the inbound, back out, into the hands of the very Hampton player who threw the pass with only 2.1 seconds to play.

With Hampton forced to foul, Joyner stepped up again, knocking down a pair of free throws – on a day in which ECU shot a measly 8-18 from the stripe – to extend the lead to four with 1.0 to play.

Hampton didn't get their desperation three off in time and the final buzzer sounded to give the Pirates perhaps their gutsiest win of the season.

In addition to the game-winning shot, Joyner simply had the best game of her young career, racking up 19 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for her second-career double-double – in back-to-back games, no less.

East Carolina trailed by as many as nine in the game and the four point winning margin was their largest lead of the game. The team turned it over 20 times and racked up only seven steals – a season low – but they stepped up when it mattered and enter the holiday break with their best record through 13 games since 2018-19.

Up Next
The Pirates will return to action at home on Dec. 30 as they open American Athletic Conference play against Tulsa.