GREENVILLE, N.C. – It was an absolute rout inside Minges Coliseum Thursday night as the East Carolina women’s basketball team defeated USC Upstate 105-35.

All 13 active Pirates not only played but all 13 scored in the game.
 
The Pirates (2-0) built the fundamentals of their victory on the defensive end as they racked up 32 steals in the game, tied for the second-highest total in a game in program history, as part of a 46-turnover forced effort for the night. 46 turnovers in the most forced in a game since forcing 48 against Virginia Intermont in 2011. For her part, Danae McNeal led the charge with seven takeaways of her own, matching a career high and the 11^th most in a game in program history.
 
McNeal was fantastic in the game as she wound up with 17 points, second on the team to Amiya Joyner’s 18-point, eight-rebound outing. Joyner was a force, tallying four steals and a pair of blocks to go with her work on the offensive end.
 
Speaking of offense, it was an onslaught that ECU hasn’t seen in a while. 105 points was the most since Nov. 11, 2016, and the first time over the century mark at all since Dec. 20, 2017, against Savannah State. Much has been made of the team’s improved shooting entering the season and it showed on Thursday as seven different Pirates hit a three-point shot as the team shot 9-17 total on the game, a higher than 50-percent clip from deep.
 
Part of that offensive show was the stellar play of freshman Khia Miller and Karina Gordon who continue to play beyond their years with 14 and 11 points, respectively in the game while also contributing to the team’s stifling defense.
 
When all was said and done, the 70-point win was the largest blowout since Nov. 13, 2011, when the Pirates defeated St. Andrews by a 79-point margin.
 
Up Next
The Pirates will hit the road for a contest with the VCU Rams on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+