Pirates Fall To Charlotte In Home Finale, 82-72

Saturday, March 9

Greenville, N.C.

4:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

14-17,7-11AAC

Charlotte

19-11,13-5AAC

Charlotte

East Carolina

March 09, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – RJ Felton scored a game-high 28 points but East Carolina's senior day was spoiled as Charlotte defeated the Pirates 82-72 at Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum on Saturday evening.

Brandon Johnson added 19 points and six rebounds for the Pirates (14-17, 7-11 AAC) who dropped their fifth straight game with the loss. Cam Hayes added 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc.

Lu'Cye Patterson led Charlotte (19-11, 13-5 AAC) with 28 points and Nik Graves added 20 points as the two guards combined to go 13-of-23 from the floor.

The first six minutes of the game went back and forth with the teams knotted at 7-7 entering the first media timeout. ECU would go on an 8-3 run to take its largest lead of the first half at 25-17 with 6:55 remaining in the period. The Pirates would go cold for the final 5:57 of the first half, allowing Charlotte to go on a 15-4 run that was capped off by a Graves' half-court heave at the buzzer to give the 49ers a 35-31 lead.

ECU would regain control in the early stages of the second half and take a six-point lead after two Felton free throws made it 52-46. The 49ers would rally with an 11-4 run to go back in front for good at the 9:16 mark of the second half and not allow the Pirates to generate any comeback attempts down the stretch.

Game Notes

RJ Felton's 28 points made him the first Pirate to score 25 or more points in consecutive since Jayden Gardner did so back in 2019.
Felton also extended his streak of double figure scoring games to 23 consecutive games.
ECU is now 3-13 this season when trailing at the half and 1-7 when their opponent scores 80 or more points.
Charlotte's 11 made threes marked the second time in the last three games that ECU has surrendered 10 or more makes from downtown and the Pirates are 4-13 when their opponent makes more threes in game.

Up Next
East Carolina will await its seeding and opponent for the American Athletic Conference Championship in Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena. The tournament begins on Wednesday, Mar. 13.