HIGH POINT, N.C. – A cold-shooting stretch in the fourth quarter proved decisive as the East Carolina women’s basketball team fell to High Point 60-50 on Friday evening.

The Pirates fall to 0-2 on the young season while the Panthers improve to 1-1.

How It Happened

Neither team shot the ball well in the first quarter, but the Pirates were able to get to the free throw line to help juice the offense. East Carolina shot 5-of-9 from the line in the opening 10 minutes and Danae McNeal had six points. Raven Johnson buried a jumper from the free throw line at the buzzer to push East Carolina’s lead to 13-8 after one quarter.

After High Point cut the lead to just 16-14 early in the second quarter, East Carolina went on a quick 5-0 run behind a Tylar Bennett second-chance layup and a Taniyah Thompson three, her second of the quarter, to take its biggest lead of the game. But a 9-2 High Point run, mainly coming on free throws helped the Panthers close the gap and the two teams went into the halftime break tied at 23.

After hitting a pair of triples in the first half, Thompson kept up her hot shooting and put the Pirate offense on her back in the third quarter. The junior shot 6-of-7, including 3-for-3 from beyond the three-point line, and scored 16 of East Carolina’s 18 points in the third quarter. She also contributed on the defensive end, getting a pair of steals. But High Point came alive from the three-point alive as well, hitting four triples and outscoring ECU 19-18 to take a 42-41 lead into the final quarter.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, they could not get any offense going in the fourth quarter. ECU did not score for nearly six and a half minutes to start the final frame, allowing High Point to stretch its lead to 48-41. ECU was never able to get closer than five points the rest of the way as the Panthers shot 7-for-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch.

Leading Pirates

Thompson finished with 28 points, one short of her career high, while also pulling down a team-high eight rebounds and grabbing two steals. It is the second time in her career that she has buried six three-pointers in a game, the first Pirate to do so twice in their career.

The Pirates outrebounded High Point 47-30, but uncharacteristically lost the turnover battle 24-15.

Up Next
The Pirates will be back home for the first time this season as they take on Gardner-Webb on Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game broadcast on ESPN+.