Tampa, Fla. – Jordan Riley scored a game-high 20 points but East Carolina could not overcome a 20-point second half deficit as the Pirates’ fell to South Florida 75-69 in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams at the Yuengling Center on New Year’s Eve.
BUCCANEER SCOREBOARD – ECU Basketball mounts a comeback effort at South Florida but falls short in the Pirates’ first AAC contest of the season. pic.twitter.com/4OSkn6MjA4
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) December 31, 2024
C.J. Walker and RJ Felton added 16 and 13 points respectively for the Pirates (8-6, 0-1 AAC) who have lost five of their last six games after nearly tying the largest deficit overcome for a victory since 1981.Kobe Knox scored 18 points off the bench to lead South Florida (8-6, 1-0 AAC).
ECU struck first on a jumper from Riley but both teams combined to shoot 6-for-17 with no stoppage in play until the game’s first media timeout at 13:17. The game remained locked at eight for two minutes until the Bulls pulled ahead 12-8 with 10:53 to go in the half.
The Pirates’ field goal drought of 4:21 would be snapped on a three-pointer from Cam Hayes but South Florida extended their lead to 26-14 with an 8-0 run to force an ECU timeout. ECU answered with a run of their own, scoring six answered points and holding the Bulls scoreless for two minutes to cut the deficit to 26-20 with under four minutes to go.
ECU would undergo another field goal drought before the half, allowing the Bulls to go into the break ahead 34-25.
The Pirates opened the second half with back-to-back turnovers as the Bulls hit four of their first six shots of the half and eventually went ahead by as much as 20. ECU would fight back with a 14-2 run to pull back within single digits at 58-51.
After ECU pulled within five points, South Florida responded with a 6-0 burst to push their advantage back to double digits. The Pirates would continue to battle, cutting the deficit to five again after a Felton three and again after a free throw from Walker. Unfortunately, ECU would get no closer as South Florida held off the Pirates’ second-half comeback attempt for the six-point win.
Game Notes
- The Pirates nearly pulled off an historic comeback as the largest deficit overcome for a victory since 1981 was 20 points against South Dakota State on Nov. 23, 2009.
- Jordan Riley’s 20 points was a season-high.
- Jordan Riley, C.J. Walker and RJ Felton each have 12 games this season in which they have scored double figures.
- ECU falls to 2-9 in AAC openers.
- Tybo Bailey made his first appearance in a game for the Pirates since Nov. 29 against N.C. A&T.
- The Pirates’ nine-point first half deficit was the second largest halftime deficit that the team has faced this season.
- ECU has shot under 40 percent in the first half of its last four games as the Pirates shot just 29.6 percent in the first half against South Florida.
- ECU lost its first game this season when outrebounding its opponent as the team was 7-0 when winning the battle on the glass.
East Carolina returns to Minges to host Florida Atlantic for a nationally televised contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.