Pirates Set for Road Battle with Rice

Game Eighteen: East Carolina (10-7, 2-3 AAC) at Rice (9-8, 2-3 AAC)
Date	Saturday, January 18
Time	3:00 p.m. (ET)
Location	Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Media Coverage	Live Stats: StatBroadcast Streaming: ESPN+
Game Notes	East Carolina
Media Guide	2024-25 Women's Basketball Media Guide
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUWBB Instagram: @ECUW BB

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina women's basketball team journeys to Houston, Texas on Saturday for a battle with the Rice Owls. The game is set for a 3:00 p.m. tip off, streaming on ESPN+

The Pirates will be looking for revenge in a rematch of the 2024 American Athletic Conference Championship Game which Rice won 61-41.

Last Time Out
The Pirates made it two straight with a gritty win at Charlotte. Anzhané Hutton was phenomenal in the game with 21 points and 12 rebounds on 9-11 shooting while Devin Hagemann scored 16 points and dished out a season-best six assists. For Hutton, it was the second double-double of the season and the 16th of her career. Jayla Hearp made it three in double figures with 13 and a career high eight rebounds as they Pirates earned a 14-point lead, saw it evaporate, then battled to the finish for a close win

Scouting Rice
The Owls enter the game with a 9-8 record, including 2-3 in league play, level with the Pirates. It was a road loss last time out at North Texas in which Malia Fisher was the lone Owl in double figures with 14 points. Fisher leads the team in scoring for the season with 12.2 points per game to go with 7.1 rebounds, despite being limited with just nine appearances. Dominique Ennis also scores in double figures for the Owls with 11.5 per.

Series History
The Pirates and Owls don't have a terribly long history, going back to just 2006 with an 8-6 edge for Rice, but it's a heated one. Rice notably won all three contests last season including the AAC Championship Game and won it going away, 61-41. Danae McNeal scored 14 points in the game for the Pirates, in what was the final collegiate game of her illustrious career.

Weekly Recognition
Devin Hagemann was named Freshman of the Week by the American Athletic Conference on Monday after scoring 21 points on four made threes with three assists against Tulane. It is the rookie's first career weekly honor and comes after improving her career best scoring output by 16 points. Remarkably, the 21 point outburst came after being held scoreless in the two prior games.

Milestone to Watch
Tatyana Wyche is two points and two rebounds away from 250 each in her time in Purple and Gold, sitting at 248 apiece in just a season and a half with ECU.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Devin Hagemann

Jayla Hearp

Anzhané Hutton

Danae McNeal

Tatyana Wyche

Footer