Pirates Fall To Florida, 70-65

Thursday, December 14

Lakeland, Fla.

7:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

6-5,0-0AAC

Florida

7-3,0-0SEC

East Carolina

Florida

December 14, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Lakeland, Fla. – RJ Felton and Ezra Ausar each scored 14 points but the Pirates dropped their second game in a row in a 70-65 loss to Florida in the Visit Central Florida Tip-Off at the RP Funding Center on Thursday night.

Brandon Johnson added 12 points and 10 boards for the Pirates (6-5) and Bobby Pettiford Jr. scored 11 points and added five assists and five steals.

Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators (7-3) with 22 points.

ECU would hit three of its four shots to start the game, but Florida would make five of its first seven shots to take an early 11-8 lead going into the first media timeout. The Pirates would go scoreless for the next four minutes, allowing Florida to gain some separation with a 16-8 lead.

Trailing by as much 10 points, the Pirates would drill back-to-back threes to get within four, but the Gators would answer with back-to-back triples of their own to push their lead back to 10. ECU's defense would tighten up in the final minutes of the first half, holding Florida to 1-of-7 shooting, to cut the deficit to seven going into the break.

The Pirates would force three Gators turnovers and pull withing three after a Johnson three-pointer made it 43-40 at the 15:13 mark. Ausar's layup at the 11:24 mark would get the Pirates within two, but Florida would go on a quick 7-0 spurt to make the score 55-46.

After trailing by eight, ECU would go on an 8-1 run capped off by a Cam Hayes' jumper to make the score 62-61 with a little over three minutes remaining. ECU would make it a one possession game again after a Pettiford Jr. layup but the Pirates surrendered a key second chance basket with 20 seconds remaining that would seal the win for Florida.

Up Next
East Carolina returns home to face Delaware State Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.