By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
By BRIAN HAINES
Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — In their final tune-up before conference play the Pirates showed consistency and focus are still their biggest issues.
East Carolina (6-8) jumped out to a 24-9 lead against N.C. Central on Sunday, but allowed the Eagles to get within two points with under four minutes left in the game.
ECU eventually pulled out a 68-58 victory, but it was a little too close of a contest considering the Pirates were home against a struggling N.C. Central team that left Greenville with a 2-12 record.
“Lack of focus continues to be an issue with this basketball team,” ECU head coach Mack McCarthy said. “If I could change one thing about this team I think the focus and intensity of which we play with would be more consistent.”
McCarthy said the fact that the team did not run away with a win Sunday can be attributed to the a fore mentioned flaws along with the fact that closing out games is not a learned behavior yet.
“Some of it is (a lack of focus issue) and some of it is that we just haven’t done it yet,” McCarthy said. “You have to know how to do something before you do it. We haven’t done it enough to know how to get over that hump. At this point its not experience, as much as it is a lack of those other things. We have to learn how to play every single possession and not take possessions off. It’s not the team taking a possession off, it’s an individual here and an individual there and pretty soon it’s a breakdown.”
The Pirates won’t be able to afford any breakdowns or lapses in concentration tonight when they begin Conference USA play against conference leaders UAB.
The previously 24th-ranked Blazers are 12-2 and are coming off of a 73-72 victory over Arkansas in which they won on a last-second dunk by Howard Crawford.
UAB features recently named conference player of the week Elijah Millsap, who averaged 24 points and nine rebounds in his last two games against Virginia and Arkansas, respectively.
On the season the 6-6 Millsap, who is the brother of Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap, is averaging 16.7 points per night to go along with 9.7 rebounds.
Also leading the way for UAB is 6-8 forward Crawford who is posting 13 points per night.
McCarthy said that he feels his tough non-conference schedule has helped him prepare for league play.
“We played one of the top 20 non-conference schedules according to the RPI, we have seen a little bit of everything,” McCarthy said. “There is nothing in the league that is going to be new to us. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but at least we have experienced playing at a high level against high level of quality opponents.”