East Carolina University
15-6,7-1American
UAB
7-13,0-8American
Pirates Dominate Second Half, Cruise by UAB, 87-61
January 24, 2026 | Women's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Eight made second half threes helped the East Carolina women's basketball team roll by the UAB Blazers, 87-61, on Saturday afternoon in Bartow Arena.
The trio of Anzhané Hutton, Jayla Hearp and Keanna Rembert combined for 55 points in the win, with Hutton and Hearp shooting a combined 15-18 from the field.
It was a feel-it-out start in the game as UAB (7-13, 0-8 American) was able to make some early threes and hold a lead for portions of the first quarter, but after the game was tied 11-11, the Pirates (15-6, 7-1 American) put on a 12-0 run and never gave it up, going up by a dozen on a Rembert three at the 1:36 mark of the first.
The Blazers battled hard in the second quarter, even managing to get within five points on couple occasions, but the hosts were never able to get over the hump and truly get back into the game. The Pirates continued to have answers, including a bucket by Hearp with about three-and-a-half minutes before the half which pushed the margin back to seven. The redshirt-junior scored six points in the period on 3-3 shooting. Hearp would finish the game with 17 points, including eight more in the third quarter.
From the halftime locker room, ECU poured on a 7-0 run to go back up 14 and force a UAB timeout. The stoppage did not help, as the floodgates had been opened. From 6:42 in the third to 8:21 in the fourth, the Pirates made all five of their three-point shots. All the while, the lead expanded, ticking over 20 points for the first time on a Taylor Barner triple at the 1:48 mark of the third.
Barner had a renaissance in the game, shooting 3-3 from deep and 4-4 from the field overall. The redshirt-freshman, known for her electric scoring, had struggled of late, so the game was a much-needed breakthrough for the guard with in-the-gym range.
The Pirates kept their foot on the gas the rest of the way, continuing to swell the lead all the way to the final margin of 26. All told, the team shot 8-12 from behind the arc in the second half to turn a reasonably close contest into a rout. Among those shooting well, the starting forward tandem of Hutton and Rembert shot 5-7 from behind the arc in the game, their third time both making a three in the same game this season.
Hutton led the Pirates with seven rebounds while rookie big Zaniah Zellous had another strong outing with 10 points and six boards. After a difficult outing on Tuesday, Kennedy Fauntleroy had a more effective game on Saturday, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Eight assists match her season high, her fourth time hitting the total this season. As a team, the Pirates assisted 27 times on 34 made baskets, or 79 percent.
Another critical area in the game, the Pirates simply didn't give the ball away all that much. Known for forcing turnovers, they did that, forcing 17, but only had eight giveaways of their own. They did this while out rebounding UAB, 41-44, for a massive differential in possessions gained and a healthy final score.
Up Next
The Pirates return home on Tuesday to host Wichita State for a 6 p.m. contest. The two teams met previously on Jan. 10, an 83-56 ECU win.
