The East Carolina women’s basketball team used a methodical effort to turn a four-point halftime lead into a 25-point victory over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in their 2024-25 season opener on Wednesday evening in Minges Coliseum.
Jayla Hearp poured in a career-high 21 points and Taliyah Wyche registered her first career double-double in the win.
It was a story of four quarters of progress in the opener as the Pirates (1-0) scored more points — 13-19-23-26 — in each successive quarter to secure a blowout victory of their Big South foe. The Buccaneers (0-2) held strong, showing why they enter the season with high hopes on the heels of their most successful season in recent memory last year. They were bolstered by the play of their sensational do-it-all guard Catherine Alben who led the visitors with 14 points on the evening.
ECU did manage a lead through a quarter of play thanks to some excellent opening play by Wyche who contributed six points and four boards in the first 10 minutes of action. Traditionally stout defensively under Kim McNeill‘s vaunted system, the Pirates also held Charleston Southern to just 10 points in the opening frame, an accomplishment they matched again in the fourth quarter.
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