Walker's Last-Second Shot Lifts Pirates Over UTSA, 80-79

Saturday, February 8

San Antonio, Texas

8:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

13-11,5-6AAC

UTSA

10-13,4-7AAC

East Carolina

UTSA

Walker's Last-Second Shot Lifts Pirates Over UTSA, 80-79

February 08, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

San Antonio, Texas – C.J. Walker scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the year and hit the last-second shot to lift East Carolina past UTSA, 80-79, at the Convocation Center on Saturday evening.

Jordan Riley added 21 points for the Pirates (13-11, 5-6 AAC) and RJ Felton scored 15 points on four made threes.

Marcus Millender led UTSA (10-13, 4-7 AAC) with 21 points.

ECU jumped out to an early 10-5 lead but the Pirates missed six of their next seven shots as UTSA went on a 10-0 run to go in front 15-10 with 11:50 remaining in the first half. The Roadrunners extended their lead to 19-10 forcing an ECU timeout at the 10:55 mark.

Felton snapped the Pirates' six-minute scoring drought with a three at the top of the arc and that shot would spark a 7-2 spurt from ECU to pull the Pirates within a point and force a UTSA timeout with 7:15 to go in the half. Walker's layup at 5:56 would tie the game at 23 but the Roadrunners would outscore the Pirates 17-10 the rest of the half to go into the locker room ahead 40-33.

The Pirates would hit four of their six shots as part of a 10-2 run to close within a point and Felton's and-one layup at the 13:57 mark of the second half gave the Pirates their first lead of the game since the 15:50 mark of the first half. ECU extended its lead to 63-57 after an emphatic block from Walker led to a fastbreak, three-point play from Riley with just under nine minutes to go.

UTSA scored six quick points to tie the game at 63 and the Roadrunners hit three of their next four shots to take a 71-67 at the 4:34 mark of the second half. Walker would give ECU a 75-74 lead with a layup at just under two minutes to go but UTSA scored on a second-chance layup and hit a deep three that would seem to be the dagger, giving the Roadrunners a 79-75 lead.

ECU would make things interesting as Trevion LaBeaux forced a turnover that led to a three-point play from Riley to make it a one-point game. The Pirates forced another UTSA turnover to get one final chance to win the game and the Pirates would convert on Walker's last-second floater.

Game Notes

ECU's starting five of Hayes, Farell, Riley, Woodard and LaBeaux was used for the first time this season.
The Pirates are 4-1 when allowing 40 first-half points and are 3-7 this year when trailing at the half.
UTSA's 14-0 run in the first half was tied for the third largest scoring run allowed by the Pirates this season only behind a 16-0 run from Memphis and 17-0 run from South Carolina.
RJ Felton has made a field goal in 86 consecutive games.
Felton's three pointer at the 14:36 mark of the second half moved him to fifth all-time in scoring in program history, passing B.J. Tyson who scored 1,570 career points at ECU.
Cam Hayes scored in double figures for the first time since Dec. 21 against Gardner-Webb when he scored 18 points.
ECU had four players in double figures for the first time since Jan. 8 against Temple.
C.J. Walker scored 20 or more points in a game for the 11th time this season and of his career.