The ECU men’s basketball team rallied but fell short in overtime to Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday, 87-85.
Below are more details from ECU Sports Information. Postgame video is from Pirate Radio.
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Photo: (ECU Sports Information)
Jordan Riley scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but East Carolina’s valiant effort fell short as the Pirates lost in overtime to UAB, 87-85, on Sunday afternoon inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
Reid Cason (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Giovanni Emejuru (12 points, 12 rebounds) also had double-doubles for the Pirates (5-11, 0-3 American) who have dropped four straight games.
Jacob Meyer led UAB (11-6, 2-2 American) with 29 points while KyeRon Lindsay-Martin added 20 points.
Both teams traded leads nine times in a first half where neither side could separate by more than five points but a field goal drought of 2:38 by the Pirates coupled with a 6-0 Blazers’ run put UAB ahead 39-37 at the break.
UAB charged out of the half on a 17-9 run to take its largest lead of the game at 58-46 with 12:18 remaining but East Carolina hung around until retaking the lead on a pair of Emejuru free throws with 2:29 to go that made it 74-73.
The teams traded baskets in the final 1:20 as Daniel Rivera’s layup gave UAB a 79-76 lead with 44 seconds to go but Isaiah Mbeng sank a three with 10 seconds left to tie the game. UAB’s Chance Westry drove with a chance to win the game but Cason recorded his fifth block to send the contest to overtime.
Tybo Bailey gave ECU an 85-83 lead with 2:44 left in overtime but Meyer answered with a baseline jumper to tie the game at 85 on the next possession. After stout defense from both sides, Meyer would put UAB ahead for good with 16 seconds to go as the Pirates were unable to score in the last seconds.
Up Next
East Carolina visits South Florida on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.