East Carolina University
7-5,0-0American
Wofford
4-7,0-0SoCon
Barner's 30 Points Help Pirates Blow By Wofford, 80-59
December 17, 2025 | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Redshirt-freshman guard Taylor Barner recorded her third-straight game over 20 points with a 30-point outburst as the East Carolina women's basketball team downed Wofford, 80-59, on Wednesday in Minges Coliseum.
After a quick start by the Pirates (7-5) which saw four of five starters score before the first media timeout, Wofford (4-7) used a 15-2 run to build a small lead in the first quarter. The run was broken up only by a nice fast break sequence for ECU in which Anzhané Hutton made a rebound, saving the ball from going out of bounds and hitting Olivia Hilliard who in turn hit Barner streaking behind the defense for a score. The Pirates used four free throws in the final minute of the first quarter to cut the margin to three.
Trailing by three in the second quarter, a three-point make by Keanna Rembert got the Pirates back within one. The team then used several timely stops to earn opportunities to go back in front in the game. Hutton made two buckets which gave ECU one-point leads in the sixth minute of the quarter before Barner swished home a corner three with 3:48 to play on the front side of the second-quarter media break before making a running bucket from inside the arc coming out of the stoppage. Two more Hutton free throws made it a 9-0 run and an eight-point lead.
Despite having not started a game, Barner continues to lead the Pirates in scoring this season.
After ECU scored the first four points of the second half to briefly extend the lead to double figures, Wofford used a 9-0 run to get back within two points on a pair of Molly Masingale free throws at the 6:59 mark. The Terriers eventually got as close as one point back before Barner drilled a deep three and Kennedy Fauntleroy scored a basket while being fouled with 4:55 remaining in the third to go back up by six.
Coming out of the media, Barner scored seven-straight points herself to extend the ECU lead to 13 with the scoreboard showing 55-42. The run was broken up by a Wofford timeout which did little to slow down the rookie's onslaught.
As a group, the Pirates' run ended up being a 17-2 surge, expanding the margin all the way to 16 points to end the third quarter. Barner scored 13 points in the period.
To begin the final quarter, the Pirates managed to get their lead to as many as 23 points. A Wofford triple by Gabbie Mundy got the margin back down to 15 at the 7:55 mark, but ECU was able to respond.
Barner earned her second 30-point game of the season on an and-one finish with 1:44 remaining in the game, exiting for the day shortly thereafter. The rookie finished the day with a career high five three-point makes. Barner is the first ECU freshman to record multiple 30-point games since at least 1975-76.
Up Next
The Pirates are back at home on Sunday for a 1 p.m. contest with Campbell.
