GREENVILLE — Brock Young hurled the ball up into the air and jumped into the arms of teammate Corvonn Gaines as the crowd of 5,856 crazed Pirates fans erupted in jubilation as the realization set in that East Carolina had just beaten Conference USA power Memphis for the first time in program history.
The team’s 68-57 victory over the Tigers alone would be good cause to celebrate, but like a cake, the Pirates’ win was layered with goodness. Not only was it the first time ECU has ever taken down the Tigers, but the Senior Night victory also locked up the program’s ever-so-crucial 16th win of the year, which allowed the four seniors being honored to clinch the school’s first winning season in 14 years.
One can only assume that the joyous scene inside Minges Coliseum Wednesday night is what East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland had in mind when he called newly-hired head coach Jeff Lebo a “program turner.”
After the game, Lebo said that his players’ hard work and determination is what allowed them to break the 14-year slump.
“As far as playing hard and buying I think they have done that so I have been very pleased,” Lebo said. “Their effort in practice has been terrific, there attitudes have been good and that’s all you can ask for. They do what I ask them to do and they try to do it as hard as they can. What else can you ask for as a coach.”
Before tipoff the school paid tribute to seniors Brock Young, Jontae Sherrod, Jamar Abrams and Chad Wynn, and while the celebration was nice, it paled in comparison to the “Sweet 16” celebration that took place afterwards as the Pirates improved to 16-13 (8-7).
“All of us came together and said what we want do is make a change around ECU,” said Young, who finished the game with six points and four assists. “It took four long years but it paid off. We stuck together and we held our heads high through the ups and the downs and we prevailed.”
The team was able to overcome Memphis thanks largely to a career night from Sherrod and a few clutch three-pointer from Abrams.
Sherrod played like a man possessed as he tallied a career-best 28 points and collected six rebounds to lead ECU to its first win in 10 tries against Memphis (21-9, 9-6). Abrams scored 11 points, but seemingly each bucket came at clutch moments in the game.
Throughout all of the first half, and most of the second, neither team was able to pull more than a few points away from the other. That all changed when ECU pieced together an 18-5 run that started with it down 42-41 and ended with the Pirates holding a 60-47 lead with 3:31 left in the game.
Abrams and Sherrod highlighted the run as Abrams nailed back-to-back threes with the shot clock winding down, which was followed by a Sherrod that put the Pirates up 58-47 and gave the long-time suffering ECU fans hope that the 14-year losing streak was over.
“It is a satisfying (Senior Night). I’m happy, I’m happy for everybody. The seniors, me, Chad, Brock, Jamar, it’s a great feeling; and we beat Memphis. It’s a great feeling” Sherrod said.
Abrams said that Wednesday night’s win validated four years worth of blood, sweat and tears.
“It feels so good, it just goes to show you that hard work really does payoff,” Abrams said. “It’s sounds cliche but I swear if you just keep pushing good things will come to those who wait.”