Pirates fall to Jacksonville State In Boardwalk Battle opener, 86-78

by | Nov 22, 2024

By ECUPirates.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – RJ Felton and C.J. Walker each scored a game-high 20 points but East Carolina couldn’t overcome a cold-shooting second half as the Pirates suffered their first loss of the year, falling to Jacksonville State 86-78 in the opening round of the Boardwalk Battle on Thursday afternoon.

Yann Farell added 12 points on four made threes for the Pirates (4-1).

Jao Ituka led Jacksonville State (4-1) with 18 points.

Jacksonville State scored the game’s first six points before Walker finally broke the seal on the basket for the Pirates with a jumper at the 17-minute mark. ECU would hit five of their next six shots including making three-pointers on three straight possessions to flip an 8-2 deficit to a 16-14 lead.

The Pirates would go up 28-23 after a Riley layup for their largest lead of the first half but the Gamecocks would battle back to take a 36-32 lead with 2:34 remaining in the half. ECU would recapture the lead right before the end of the half on a driving layup from Felton to make the score 39-37.

Jacksonville State would score the first four points of the second half to regain the lead and the teams would go back and forth over the next eight minutes of the game with ECU holding a 59-54 advantage at the 10:29 mark.

An 18-6 Gamecock spurt would be the deciding factor as the Pirates went cold from the floor down the stretch of the second half, going 5-for-16, and Jacksonville State take the eight-point victory to move to the winner’s bracket.

Game Notes

  • RJ Felton extended his double-figure scoring game streak to 30 games.
  • Felton moved to eighth all-time in program history in made threes with 163 for his career.
  • Felton scored 20 or more points in back-to-back contests for the fifth time in his career.
  • Thursday’s contest was the first time this season that the Pirates have lost the battle on the glass (37-30) and at the free throw line, making only 13 shots at the line compared to Jacksonville State’s 23.

Top Headlines

Hutton scores 1,000th point, Pirates rock Campbell, 81-59

The ECU women’s basketball team picked up an easy victory on Sunday over Campbell, 81-59. In that game, Anzhane Hutton scored her 1,000 career point for the Pirates. Below are more detail details from ECU Sports Information. ===== Photo credit: Anzhane Hutton (ECU...

East Carolina student-athletes earn degrees

ECU held graduation ceremonies on Friday, with a number of student-athletes receiving degrees. Below are more details from ECU Sports Information. Check out Pirate Radio Download our mobile app now! Website | Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram | YouTube |...

Cleveland Guardians, Shawn Armstrong agree to one-year deal

The Cleveland Guardians will have at least two former ECU baseball stars on its opening-day roster in 2026. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports Shawn Armstrong has signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract to join the team. He’ll join former ECU star Gavin Williams in the...

Davis named East Carolina offensive coordinator

East Carolina athletics formally announced the hiring of a new offensive coordinator on Thursday. Below are more details from ECU Sports Information. Check out Pirate Radio Download our mobile app now! Website | Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram | YouTube |...

Barner’s 30 points help ECU women blow by Wofford

The ECU women’s basketball team picked up an impressive victory on Wednesday at home against Wofford. Below or more detail details from ECU Sports Information. Check out Pirate Radio Download our mobile app now! Website | Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram |...