The East Carolina women’s basketball team avenged an earlier loss to Tulsa on Saturday afternoon with a 73-64 win on their home court in Minges Coliseum.
GET BACK DUB 😤 pic.twitter.com/dlwzIOW6Wy
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
The Pirates led by as many as 17 in the game and held off a furious Golden Hurricane comeback with confidence through a frenetic fourth quarter.
The game was close for much of the first half, the teams battling back and forth as the game saw four lead changes and five ties all in the first 20 minutes of action. Tulsa (12-12, 6-6 AAC) led by as many as five in the second quarter but were unable to put their signature on the game as all three forwards—Amiya Joyner, Anzhané Hutton and Tatyana Wyche—posted strong numbers in the first half with at least six points each to keep the Pirates (13-11, 5-7 AAC) right in it.
FIRE US UP @miyaa2tall 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LQ6gMVIyN5
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
ECU took the lead for good with just under five minutes to play in the second quarter and at the start of the third they took off. It was an 8-0 spurt which forced a Tulsa timeout at the 6:33 mark in the quarter. The run didn’t end there and instead went all th way to 15-2 before the game settled into a more even rhythm. The Pirates led by as many as 17 and while Tulsa did manage to get back within five in the fourth quarter, it never really felt in danger.
BANG BANG BANG @swiftyshooter14 pic.twitter.com/qWB7zzG2rx
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
Part of the reason for that was some sensational clutch basketball by the ladies donning pink on Girls and Women in Sports Day. Devin Hagemann hit a critical three to extend the lead to eight at the shot clock buzzer and end a 9-0 Tulsa run at the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Hagemann, still a freshman though she doesn’t play so much like one now, finished the game with a season-high eight assists.
NASTY step-back by @DevinHagemann to cap the 8⃣-0⃣ run! pic.twitter.com/jaKD07h6i8
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
The final daggers came with 1:24 and 52 seconds remaining, respectively. The first was a Khia Miller three with the shot clock winding down that the sophomore absolutely drained to push the lead back into double figures. The second came just second later when Joyner converted a tough and-one, extending the lead back to 12 with precious few seconds left on the timer. Miller and Joyner finished the game with solid stat lines, scoring 12 and 21 points, respectively. Joyner grabbed six rebounds and Miller snagged four to go with three assists and a steal.
NASTY step-back by @DevinHagemann to cap the 8⃣-0⃣ run! pic.twitter.com/jaKD07h6i8
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
More impressively, there was no real star of the day for ECU. The team had 20 assists on 24 made field goals. Three players scored in double figures with Hagemann and Wyche just behind at nine and eight. Four players had five-or-more rebounds, paced by Hutton who finished the game with 12 points and eight boards. The team got to the line successfully, making 20 of 27 from the charity stripe. And, as has become customary, they did well on the glass with a 40-32 margin for the game.
Great ball movement for a @swiftyshooter14 SPLASH 💦 pic.twitter.com/cd6kdWuOXA
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
It was a second-straight win in the heart of league play when the team needed it most and it came before an electric crowd of 1,643 Pirate faithful.
congrats on 1k @miyaa2tall 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BmX0LcpBgw
— East Carolina Women’s Basketball (@ECUWBB) February 8, 2025
Notables
- Hagemann has 25 assists in the last four games (6, 6, 5, 8). This is the most by an ECU player since Alex Frazier had 26 from Dec. 20, 2017 to Jan. 3, 2018.
- Joyner recorded back-to-back 20-point games for the second time this season. It was her sixth 20-point game of the season overall.
- This was the team’s fourth game with 20-or-more assists.
Up Next
The Pirates hit the road for a true test against league-leading UTSA at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in San Antonio, Texas.
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