Pirates Use Strong Defensive Effort To Defeat Wichita State, 54-52

Wednesday, January 24

Wichita, Kan.

7:30 p.m.

East Carolina University

10-10,3-4AAC

Wichita State

8-11,0-6AAC

East Carolina

Wichita St.

Pirates Use Strong Defensive Effort To Defeat Wichita State, 54-52

January 24, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Wichita, Kan. – Brandon Johnson scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds as East Carolina snapped a three-game losing skid by defeating Wichita State 54-52 inside Charles Koch Arena on Wednesday evening.

RJ Felton and Ezra Ausar added 10 points each for the Pirates (10-10, 3-4 AAC) who forced 19 turnovers and held the Shockers offense in check for most of the night. Bobby Pettiford Jr. added eight points and five rebounds off the bench.

Harlond Beverly led the Shockers (8-11, 0-6 AAC) with a game-high 18 points.

The teams would both start sloppy as the first five minutes consisted of eight combined turnovers. Despite forcing turnovers on four straight possessions, the Pirates would find themselves down 7-4 at the game's first media timeout. ECU would go on an 8-0 run and hold the Shockers scoreless for 3:27 to pull ahead 12-9 at the second media timeout of the first half.

ECU would build its biggest lead of the first half at 16-11 after a basket from Ausar at the nine-minute mark but Wichita State answered with a 9-3 spurt to retake the lead with under five minutes to go. The Pirates would lead for the rest of the half and after forcing a season-best 13 first-half turnovers, take a four-point lead going into the break.

The Shockers would go a 6-0 run to come out of the locker room, but the Pirates would respond by making six of their next seven shots to take a 43-37 lead heading into the under 12-minute media timeout. ECU would miss its next five shots, allowing Wichita State to knot the game at 43 with 7:54 to go in the game. ECU would extend its lead to seven and force a Shocker timeout after a steal and slam from Pettiford and make key stops down the stretch to hold on for its second road win of the season.

Up Next
East Carolina returns to Minges Coliseum to face Temple on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.