By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — East Carolina’s trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam didn’t produce the heavenly results the team was looking for as the Pirates lost to Tennessee and Northern Iowa before topping South Dakota State.
After falling to Campbell previous to the tournament, East Carolina desperately needed to leave the Jam with at least one win under its belt. The Pirates 82-73 victory over SDSU was important not only because it kept the team’s dream of a .500 record or better alive, but because it also served as a big moral booster.
The win allowed ECU to finish in seventh place in the tourney, and allowed them to avoid the potential disaster of coming back from Paradise with a 1-5 record.
The Pirates (2-4) showed heart their last time out as they battled back from a 20-point deficit to top the Jack Rabbits.
Jontae Sherrord led ECU with a career-high 23 points (5-7 from downtown), while Darrius Morrow added 16 points and Brock Young dished out 10 assists.
The Pirates will look to build on that win today when they travel to Greensboro to play UNC-Greensboro at 4 p.m. The trip is ECU’s second to the Greensboro Coliseum this season, the first time was the second game of the year when it lost to Wake Forest.
In order for the Pirates to win their second game in a row they must keep their turnovers to a minimum. Despite having the sturdy Young at point guard, East Carolina has averaged 20.7 turnovers a game compared to only 11.3 assists.
East Carolina is basically giving the other team a free possession every other minute. It’s impossible to win that way.
Six games into the season the Pirates have three players averaging more than 10 points per game. Young leads the team with 14 a night, Sherrod is averaging 13 points per contest and Morrow is adding 12 points per game.
Morrow is also averaging a team-leading 6.7 boards per night.
UNC-Greensboro is led by Ben Stywall’s 13.8 points per game, while its second-leading scorer is ECU transfer Brandon Evans (11 ppg).
UNC-Greensboro earned its first win of the year its last time out as it topped USC Upstate 76-70.