Johnson's Career-High Pushes Pirates Past UTSA, 84-73

Saturday, February 10

San Antonio, Texas

4:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

12-12,5-6AAC

UTSA

8-16,2-9AAC

East Carolina

UTSA

February 10, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

San Antonio, Texas – Brandon Johnson scored a career-high 30 points on a career-best seven made threes as East Carolina defeated UTSA 84-73 at the Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon.

RJ Felton added 16 points for the Pirates (12-12, 5-6 AAC) who scored 80 points for the first time in a game since Nov. 21. Ezra Ausar and Cam Hayes chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively and Jaden Walker had a strong overall game with six points, eight rebounds and a career-high 13 assists.

Jordan Ivy-Curry led UTSA (8-16, 2-9 AAC) with 14 points.

The Pirates would get off to a hot start on offense, making four of their first five shots from behind the arc, to race out to a 12-4 lead at the first media timeout. After going over three minutes without a field goal, ECU would score seven unanswered to extend its lead to 19-6 with 12:09 to go in the first half.

The Roadrunners would close the gap to 29-20 but a barrage of Johnson three-pointers would push the Pirates lead back to double figures. ECU would close the half making seven of their last seven shots to take a 48-25 lead at the break.

UTSA would come out of the locker room making seven of their first 10 shots to cut the Pirates' lead to 10 but Johnson would go on a personal 5-0 run to push ECU's lead to 61-46 with 12:51 to go. ECU would allow UTSA to get no closer than 10 and pick up the road win.

Game Notes

Brandon Johnson's 21 first half points marked the second time in the past two years that a Pirate has scored 20 or more points in a half as Felton scored 20 in the second half against Presbyterian last season (11.12.22).
ECU's 21 assists marked a season-high and the Pirates' 13 shots from downtown are the most the team had made in AAC play this year.
The 48 first half points from ECU were a season-high and the most for the team under Schwartz.
With the win, the Pirates earned their third road win of the year which the program had not done since the 2015-16 season as ECU finished with a 3-10 mark away from home.

Up Next
East Carolina will return home for the first of two straight games at Minges Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 15 when the Pirates take on Wichita State at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.