The ECU women’s basketball team was upset by Memphis in Wednesday’s American Conference action.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The East Carolina women’s basketball team suffered a defeat to forget on Wednesday night, losing to Memphis in double overtime, 88-80. The Pirates, still in chase of locking up the second seed in the American Conference, will have to wait as they are now just one game up on third place with two games to play.
The game got off to a slow start offensively for the Pirates (20-9, 12-4 American) as they struggled mightily to take advantage of some defensive lapses by the Tigers (9-19, 3-12 American), missing several layup opportunities and allowing the hosts to lead by a point after one quarter. Memphis used a 6-0 run, thanks in part to six-straight missed shots by ECU, to take a six-point lead at 27-21 late in the second quarter. The Pirates rebounded with a couple of buckets to get back within two, but it was short lived.
ECU missed 12 of its final 13 shots in the first half, allowing a 7-0 run for Memphis and a nine-point lead for the Tigers at the break. At 34-25, the Pirates faced their largest halftime deficit since trailing South Florida by 13 on Feb. 4.
As a team, it was a 10-37 shooting effort in the first 20 minutes as star guard Kennedy Fauntleroy went just 0-9 from the field, though she did tally five assists. ECU was led in the first half by Anzhané Hutton’s 10 points and six rebounds. All of her rebounds came in the first quarter.
Things only worsened in the third quarter, ECU going down as many as 15 points as a 10-0 run broke the game open. It was a lead that looked likely to stay until the fourth quarter when a few key buckets gave ECU hope. Two of those were triples by Jayla Hearp to open the period and to cut the margin to just four with 6:22 to play in regulation.
Still, going into the final minute it was a five-point game with the Pirates needing a miracle. They got it partially in the form of the worst free-throw shooting team in the nation reverting to the mean as Memphis missed four of their six attempts from the charity stripe in the final 45 seconds.
Scores by Fauntleroy and Taylor Barner set up the ultimate possession of regulation, trailing by two with a chance. On that trip, Hearp took the first swing, a triple for the win which fell short. Then Savannah Brooks grabbed an offensive board and missed a short jumper. Then, finally, Hutton hauled in another rebound and somehow managed to squeeze in a fadeaway shot as time expired to force overtime.
Memphis got the better start in overtime, going up by four early before triples by Brooks and Barner helped ECU level the game at 72. After trading baskets, the Pirates had a shot blocked to set up the Tigers with possession and a chance to win it. Daejah Richmond, who was awesome in the game, was to be the one before Brooks stepped in and took what was her second charge of the game with four seconds left.
Hearp got the call on ECU’s final possession, but her jumper came up short. A desperation attempt by Memphis did as well and the game went on.
In double overtime, the wheels fell off. Memphis scored the first eight points of the period, including a step-back triple by Richmond, and the game was all but over. ECU fought valiantly the rest of the way, but it was too late.
The game perhaps began to show signs of disappointment in the extra sessions when Fauntleroy, who flirted with a triple double with 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, fouled out on an offensive foul just over a minute in.
Hearp fouled out as well in the second overtime period. The redshirt-junior made her first three shots of the game, all from three, before missing her final four.
Deserving a mention, Hutton had a heck of a game with 16 points and 13 rebounds for her third-straight double-double and did so while playing without her usual frontcourt mate in the absence of Keanna Rembert. Bobbi Smith got the start instead, her first of the season.
It was a game to forget in the end for ECU, and a confounding one in which Memphis made 22 free throws despite entering the game last in the NCAA at the stripe. The Tigers were led by Tamya Smith’s 26 points as the team which snapped a seven-game skid looked like a group with nothing to lose in what was a frankly impressive display.
Up Next
The Pirates host senior day with Charlotte on Saturday at 2 p.m.