Despite another big game from Jordan Riley, the ECU men’s basketball team dropped another American Conference game on Saturday, this time at home against Temple.
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Photo credit: Jordan Riley (ECU Sports Information)
Jordan Riley scored a game-high 32 points, but East Carolina could not string together consecutive conference wins for the first time this year as the Pirates fell to Temple, 81-73, inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
Riley recorded 30 points for the third straight game while Demitri Gardner added 16 points and Giovanni Emejuru recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Pirates (7-16, 2-8 American).
Temple (15-8, 7-3 American) had four players in double figures, led by Aiden Tobiason’s 27 points.
The Pirates jumped out to a 10-1 lead, behind six early points from Gardner, but Temple quickly tied the game up at 10 on Gavin Griffiths’ three at the 14-minute mark. Both teams traded the lead three times before being stuck in a scoring drought of nearly three minutes until Corey Caulker’s floater with 8:12 to go in the first half made it 19-18 in favor of Temple.
Masiah Gilyard’s layup with two minutes left gave Temple its largest lead of the first half as the Pirates found themselves trailing 35-28 at the break.
Temple controlled the second half, going up by as much as 14 and the Pirates were never able to get closer than six points the rest of the way.
Up Next
East Carolina hosts UTSA on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.