ECU women's basketball falls short in Charlotte

A late comeback was not enough as the ECU women’s basketball team fell to host Charlotte 52-46 on Saturday evening in Halton Arena.

Slow Start

For the third straight game, ECU got off to a slow start on the offensive end. The 49ers ripped off the first 11 points of the contest and the Pirates did not score until Jade Lewis nailed a three-point field goal nearly eight minutes into the period. ECU also trailed by double digits in the first quarter against Wake Forest and William & Mary. The Pirates finally picked up some momentum in the closing minutes of the first period, as layups from Justice Gee and Necole Hope left ECU trailing 13-7 after one quarter.

Charlotte Takes Over

The second quarter could not have started better for the Pirates, with Hope and Gee nailing back-to-back threes to tie the game at 13. The rest of the quarter belonged to the 49ers though. Charlotte scored 10 of the next 12 points to open an eight-point lead. Gee made another layup to stop a 5-0 Charlotte run, but the 49ers answered with a three-pointer. Destiny Campbell went on a quick 4-0 run by herself to draw ECU within five, but Charlotte finished the half on a 6-0 run to increase the lead to double digits.

Comeback Falls Short

The Pirates began to claw their way back into the game in the third period. A 5-0 run by Gee, on a layup and a jumper from behind the three-point line, shank the Charlotte lead to five points just over halfway through the third period. That was the last field goal of the quarter for ECU though, and the Charlotte lead was again 10 points heading into the fourth. In the final quarter, the Pirate defense locked down the 49ers, allowing just six points. A three-pointer by Lashonda Monk with 4:56 remaining made the score 50-46, the closest the Pirates had been since it was 3-0. But ECU could not score the rest of the game, shooting 0-of-7 after Monk’s three.

Leading 49ers

Laia Raventos had a team-high 15 points and six assists for Charlotte. Jade Phillips had a game-high 11 rebounds, 10 of them coming on the defensive glass. Charlotte outscored ECU at the free throw line 12-4 and had a 59-39 rebounding edge.

Inside the Box Score

Gee finished with a career-high 12 points, hitting two three-pointers for the first time in her career. She also led the team with four assists…Ariyana Williams made her season debut, playing 13 minutes…The Pirates scored 24 points off 18 Charlotte turnovers…The six points that Charlotte scored in the fourth quarter tied the lowest single period total for an ECU opponent this season.

Up Next

The Pirates have a 12-day layoff before returning to action. ECU will host Liberty on Dec. 13 inside Minges Coliseum for the Pirates’ annual Education Day. Schools from all over Greenville will come out to the game, with tipoff scheduled for 11:30 a.m.