Swashbucklers Set Sail for Saturday Showdown in Memphis!

 
Memphis, Tenn. – East Carolina hopes to continue the momentum from Wednesday night’s exhilarating 80-79 victory against Temple as they head out on the road to confront one of their most challenging opponents of the season on Saturday afternoon when the Pirates meet No. 19 (AP) / No. 20 (Coaches’ Poll) Memphis at FedExForum. 

The contest is scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET tip-off and will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Greg Gaston (play-by-play) and Trey Draper (analyst) providing commentary, while Matt Infield (sideline) will be reporting from the baseline. Fans of the Pirates can also listen in on 107.9 WNCT, 94.3 The Game, or download the IBX mobile application for Daron Vaught’s call of the game. 

The Pirates’ scoring leader is All-AAC Preseason First Team guard RJ Felton, averaging 17.4 points per game, and contributing 6.8 rebounds per contest. Secondary scoring comes from C.J. Walker, who posts 16.8 points per game and leads the squad in rebounding with 7.4 per game. Jordan Riley contributes 14.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, rounding out ECU’s players scoring in double figures. The group of Felton, Walker, Riley, and Cam Hayes account for 76 percent of the Pirates’ overall scoring.

ECU is also searching for its first-ever victory on the road against a ranked opponent in the AP poll.

Last Time Out

Jayshayne Woodard achieved a season-best 15 points and netted the decisive shot with 10 seconds remaining, leading East Carolina to end a three-game losing streak with an 80-79 triumph over Temple on Wednesday evening inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. RJ Felton recorded a game-high 23 points and secured 12 rebounds for the Pirates, while C.J. Walker added 18 points and nine rebounds despite facing foul issues for much of the match.

Scouting the Tigers

Memphis recently secured a 68-64 home victory against North Texas on Sunday, boasting a dynamic backcourt composed of PJ Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter, and Colby Rogers, which collectively averages 49.8 points per game. The Tigers are also perfect at home when scoring 80 or more points this season.

Series History

Memphis leads the all-time series against East Carolina 26-5, having triumphed in the last three encounters with the Pirates. ECU’s all-time record at Memphis stands at 1-15, with their only win occurring on Jan. 24, 2016, as the Pirates narrowly clinched an 84-83 victory at FedExForum.

On This Date

The Pirates hold a 7-13 record in games played on Jan. 11, with their most recent contest on this date taking place during the 2022-23 season, resulting in a 55-83 defeat against Cincinnati on the road.

 

Up Next

East Carolina faces a quick turnaround as the Pirates will host North Texas on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.