ECU Falls At Wichita State, 70-62

Saturday, March 5

Wichita, KS

3 p.m.

East Carolina University

15-14,6-11AAC

Wichita State

15-12,6-9AAC

East Carolina

Wichita St.

March 05, 2022 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Game Book (PDF)

WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State pulled away down the stretch to record a 70-62 American Athletic Conference victory over East Carolina Saturday afternoon inside Koch Arena.

The Pirates (15-14, 6-11 AAC) shot the ball at a 36-percent clip from the floor as compared to the Shockers' (15-12, 6-9 AAC) 48-percent effort. Wichita State also outrebounded ECU 41-31 and held a 42-22 advantage in the paint.

Tristen Newton paced East Carolina with 16 points while Vance Jackson added 10. Newton also corralled a career-high 11 rebounds for his third career double-double. Ricky Council IV led all scorers with 20 points.

Wichita State knocked down four of its first six from the floor to build a 9-2 lead early on at the 15:11 mark. The Shockers continued to extend their advantage, limiting the Pirates to just a pair of field goals over a long stretch to pull ahead 24-10 with 7:18 remaining in the half.

ECU kept within striking distance as the period wore down, going on an 8-0 run down to the 4:00 mark to draw within 28-20. The Pirates would cut the Wichita State lead down to 30-27 on a Newton hoop and free throw as time ticked down before the Shockers netted four of the last six to take a five-point edge into the intermission.

Tyson Etienne scored a game-high 12 points in the opening 20 minutes while Newton and Alanzo Frink countered with seven apiece. Wichita State shot 51.9 percent from the field and outrebounded ECU by a 19-13 margin.

The Pirates chipped and chipped away at the Shocker upper hand until eventually taking a 39-36 lead courtesy of a Newton triple with 15:01 to play. The teams traded runs over a long stretch, but Wichita State would propel ahead 54-50 on a Craig Porter Jr. turnaround jumper at the 6:25 mark. The Shockers would not relinquish the lead again, pulling away to seal the victory.

Up Next: East Carolina heads to Forth Worth, Texas next week for the 2022 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship. The full bracket will be announced Sunday evening.