The ECU men’s basketball team saw its season end with a 90-83 loss at Alabama-Birmingham.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Demitri Gardner scored a team-high 19 points but East Carolina fell to UAB, 90-83, at Bartow Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Giovanni Emejuru recorded his 14th double-double of the year with 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Pirates (11-20, 6-12 American) who were eliminated from making the conference tournament with the loss and Memphis’ win over Tulane.
Jordan Riley scored 11 points in his final game as a Pirate while Corey Caulker added 13 points and Reid Cason scored 14.
Chance Westry and Daniel Rivera both led UAB (20-11, 11-7 American) with 22 points.
Luke Davis got the Pirates on the board with his first three of the season as ECU jumped out to an early 10-6 lead at the 17-minute mark of the first half. The next five minutes featured a combined six ties and lead changes until the Pirates went up by five on a free throw from Cason.
UAB proceeded to make four of its next five shots while ECU missed four of its next five, allowing the Blazers to go in front 28-26 with 7:21 left before halftime.
The Blazers took their biggest lead of the half with five minutes to go but the Pirates closed the half on a 13-6 run to go into the locker room ahead 44-41.
ECU went ahead by as much as 10 after a dunk from Emejuru made it 60-50 with 14:37 left but UAB used a 9-0 run to close within a point. The Pirates responded to go back in front by eight but another run from the Blazers changed the momentum and put UAB ahead 78-77 with 3:26 to go.
The Pirates cut the Blazers’ lead to two multiple times but ECU was unable to get a stop or a score to win the game or send it to overtime.