ECU Closes Regular Season At Memphis

Game 28: East Carolina (11-16, 4-10 AAC) at Memphis (14-11, 5-9 AAC)
The Game	March 2 \\\ 8 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Live
Venue	Elma Roane Fieldhouse (Memphis, Tenn. )
2021-22 Statistics	East Carolina \| Memphis
Information	ECU Notes
Social Media	Twitter \\\ Instagram \\\ TikTok \\\ #OnePirateNation

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Heading into the final game of the regular season, the East Carolina women's basketball game will try to build some momentum for the postseason as they travel to Memphis on Wednesday night.

East Carolina (11-16, 4-10 AAC) was locked in a tight battle with South Florida on Sunday afternoon, including leading late in the third quarter, but the Bulls were able to pull away for a 68-60 victory. The Pirates were again led by junior guard Taniyah Thompson, who scored 29 points on an efficient 11-of-17 (.647) shooting, including 3-of-4 (.750) from three-point range and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. It is the sixth straight game with at least 20 points for Thompson, making her the third player in East Carolina history to reach her sixth straight game of 20-plus points. If Thompson hits 20 points against Memphis, she would tie Rosie Thompson and Kathy Riley for the school record, with Rosie Thompson completing the feat in 1977-78 and Riley in 1980-81. Over that six game span, Thompson is averaging 27.2 points on 47.8% shooting, 41.9% from behind the arc and 85.1% from the line.

Thompson is currently second in the AAC in scoring (18.7 ppg) and in conference game scoring, averaging 19.5 points against AAC opponents. She is fifth in the league in free throw percentage (.780) and is 15th in steals (1.52). She currently has 1,180 points in her ECU career, moving past Sarah Gray for 15th all-time. She has 505 points this season and needs 36 to tie LaCoya Terry for tenth in single-season points in ECU history. The other Pirate leading the AAC is Tylar Bennett, who is first in the league in blocked shots with 52. Bennett is one rejection behind Ondrea Shaw for fifth in single-season blocks as a Pirate. As a team, the Pirates lead the AAC in blocked shots (130), steals (293), turnover margin (+4.93) and turnovers forced (22.19 per game), ranking as high as eighth in the country in turnovers forced. ECU is also second in the AAC and 21st in the country in offensive rebounds, with 15.0 per game.

Memphis (14-11, 5-9 AAC) has struggled over the past few weeks, going just 1-5 in its past six games. Four of those six games came on the road, although the Tigers did lose both of their home games in that span. Memphis is guaranteed to finish above .500 in the first season under head coach Katrina Merriweather, an improvement from the 4-15 mark a season ago. A big reason for that is the return of Jamirah Shutes, who played in just seven games a year ago due to injury. Shutes is leading Memphis in scoring, averaging 11.4 points. She is joined by Emani Jefferson in double-figures, with Jefferson averaging 10.0 points. Tyler Frierson is the top rebounder on the squad, grabbing 6.0 rebounds, but five different players grab at least 4.2 boards each night. As a team, the Tigers have done a good job of getting to the free throw line, as Memphis is second in the AAC in free throws made (345) and third in free throws attempted (485). Jefferson is second in the league in both free throw makes (105) and attempts (147). The Tigers are also in the top-65 of the country in both rebounds per game (39.6) and rebounding margin (+5.0).

It will be the second meeting between the two schools this season. East Carolina has dominated the recent portion of the series and the season's first matchup was no different, as the Pirates beat Memphis 68-38 on Super Bowl Sunday. That was the sixth straight victory for the Pirates against the Tigers, giving East Carolina a 19-17 lead in the all-time series. The 38 Memphis points were the fewest by an ECU conference opponent since the Pirates joined the AAC. ECU was led by Thompson, who finished with 26 points while Johnson scored a career-high 15 points while adding four steals. The Pirates are 5-12 all-time in Memphis, winning 67-53 last year. That snapped a streak of eight straight losses in Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

The game will have a big impact on the postseason seeding for both squads. East Carolina currently sits in ninth place in the conference, with Memphis directly ahead in eighth place. A Pirate victory would put them in eighth in the conference and leave Memphis in ninth. A loss could drop ECU into tenth depending on the result of the Wichita State and Tulane game on Wednesday night. Memphis could rise as high as seventh with a win and a UCF win over Tulsa.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., on Wednesday night and it will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Greg Gaston and Doc Holliday on the call. Fans can also follow the live stats here.

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Players Mentioned

Tylar Bennett

Taniyah Thompson

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