Spring Break
Blazers torch Pirates on Senior Night
Michael Perry
Issue date: 3/3/09 Section: Sports
The ECU men's basketball team was stunned on Senior Night as UAB stole the show, 82-62. The Pirates kept UAB's league leading 3-point shooter Robert Vaden scoreless in the first, but foul trouble and the frustration of subpar shooting allowed Vaden and the Blazers to leave Greenville with their fourth consecutive victory over the Pirates.
UAB (20-9, 9-5) outscored ECU 48-28 in the second half, with Vaden going from boring to boiling, as he put up 18 points in the last 10 minutes alone.
The Blazers burnt the Pirates (13-15, 5-20), leaving them without a basket for five minutes as they poured on a 19-point run.
"If we're not making shots, we have to keep the defensive intensity up," said senior Sam Hinnant. "And that's one thing we didn't do, and it hurt us."
To add to ECU's misfortune, big men Chad Wynn and Darrius Morrow got into foul trouble midway through the game, forcing the Pirates to play much of the second without a low post presence.
"If Darrius plays 10 [minutes] and Chad plays 13 [minutes], we don't have a really good chance to win the basketball game," said ECU head coach Mark McCarthy.
The first half told the story of a team high on emotion as the Pirates started the match with great intensity. Hinnant flushed two consecutive shots from long range to give the Pirates an early seven-point lead, 11-4.
After the early flurry by the ECU offense, the Senior Night momentum seemed to wear away as UAB broke even with the Pirates almost midway through the first.
UAB's Cameron Moore forced the tie and helped the Blazers to their own first half seven-point lead as he went 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the foul line. Moore went on to score 18 points in the game, tying Vaden for the UAB game-high score.
Jamar Abrams scored 11 points in the first half to keep ECU within range of UAB. Abrams went on to complete a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards.
In the final minute of the first stanza, sophomore Jontae Sherrod tied the game twice. First from downtown and then in the waning seconds, he drove the lane, crossed up his man and put home a mid-range jumper to send the match to the second tied at 34.
UAB (20-9, 9-5) outscored ECU 48-28 in the second half, with Vaden going from boring to boiling, as he put up 18 points in the last 10 minutes alone.
The Blazers burnt the Pirates (13-15, 5-20), leaving them without a basket for five minutes as they poured on a 19-point run.
"If we're not making shots, we have to keep the defensive intensity up," said senior Sam Hinnant. "And that's one thing we didn't do, and it hurt us."
To add to ECU's misfortune, big men Chad Wynn and Darrius Morrow got into foul trouble midway through the game, forcing the Pirates to play much of the second without a low post presence.
"If Darrius plays 10 [minutes] and Chad plays 13 [minutes], we don't have a really good chance to win the basketball game," said ECU head coach Mark McCarthy.
The first half told the story of a team high on emotion as the Pirates started the match with great intensity. Hinnant flushed two consecutive shots from long range to give the Pirates an early seven-point lead, 11-4.
After the early flurry by the ECU offense, the Senior Night momentum seemed to wear away as UAB broke even with the Pirates almost midway through the first.
UAB's Cameron Moore forced the tie and helped the Blazers to their own first half seven-point lead as he went 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the foul line. Moore went on to score 18 points in the game, tying Vaden for the UAB game-high score.
Jamar Abrams scored 11 points in the first half to keep ECU within range of UAB. Abrams went on to complete a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards.
In the final minute of the first stanza, sophomore Jontae Sherrod tied the game twice. First from downtown and then in the waning seconds, he drove the lane, crossed up his man and put home a mid-range jumper to send the match to the second tied at 34.
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