By Staff
ECU Sports Information
ECU Sports Information
HOUSTON, Texas — East Carolina junior Brock Young scored a career-high 27 points to lead East Carolina to a 76-65 win over Rice at Tudor Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon, giving the Pirates their second win in the last three games.
The victory gives ECU (9-17, 3-9 Conference USA) a split of the season series with Rice and its second win in its last three visits.
Jonate Sherrod dropped in 15 points, which was his most against a Division I opponent since scoring 23 points versus South Dakota State in November. Jamar Abrams added 13 points. Darrius Morrow and Erin Straughn led the Pirates with nine rebounds apiece.
Freshman Tamir Jackson led the Owls with 22 points and junior Lucas Kuipers scored 14 points.
After shooting less than 40 percent in the first half, ECU connected on 60 percent(15-25) of its field goal attempts after halftime.
Young made all four of his field goal attempts in the second half and went 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.
Three of the Owls’ first five baskets, all inside the paint, were dunks which helped them take an early four-point lead. Young then scored nine consecutive points to reverse fortunes and give ECU a four-point lead, 18-14, with 8:25 to go before intermission.
Rice opened the game by making five of its first 10 field goal attempts, but made just 5-of-16 in the final 14 minutes of the opening 20 minutes. ECU made five of its first 17 shots before making six of its final 16 field goal attempts of the half as both teams finished under 40 percent shooting at intermission.
The Owls tied the game three times in the last four minutes of the half before Sherrod and Young combined to score the last six points to give the Pirates a six-point lead at the break, 30-24.
ECU maintained the lead throughout the second half but were never able to get more than a six-point separation in the first five minutes. The Pirates came out of the locker room by making 6-of-10 field goal attempts to keep the Owls at bay.
The Pirates stretched their lead to nine, 58-49, on a 3-pointer from Abrams with 6:58 left. Rice cut the lead to five with 4:36 to play, but Corvonn Gaines’ tip-in pushed the lead back to seven.
Sherrod extended the Pirates’ lead to 11, 71-60, with 1:20 showing. He and Young combined to score 14 of East Carolina’s final 16 points.
Rice was assessed and administrative technical foul prior to tip-off for dunking during warm-ups, but the Pirates didn’t take advantage as Young missed both free throws.
The Pirates will return to action Wednesday, Jan. 24, at home against SMU. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports.