No. 17 Houston’s tough D tangles with ECU’s Gardner… Lady Pirates Host UCF On Wednesday Night….Pirates Claim Three Weekly Swimming And Diving Awards…Shockers tie for fifth-fewest points in program history in loss at South Florida…Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett too much as Duke rolls over Jeff Capel’s Pitt Panthers…UNC scandal raised a call for NCAA academic reforms. Will they happen?…Serena Williams Falls to Karolina Pliskova With Late Collapse…Sharks beat the buzzer, then beat the Caps, 7-6, in OT as Washington drops sixth straight…Rex Ryan linked to Chiefs’ defensive coordinator job after team fires Bob Sutton
From the Anchor Desk
Mealing settling in with Pirate women
Nicole Mealing certainly doesn’t lack for confidence. That’s a good thing for an East Carolina women’s basketball program working on its third coach since practice started in October. Heather Macy resigned her position just after the American Athletic Conference basketball media day. Chad Killinger was then named interim coach, but he stepped away for personal… [ More… ]
Recent News & Features
Insights from Brett
Gilbert gets off to brisk start as ECU’s AD
Of all the criticisms that were aimed at former athletic director Jeff Compher — and there were plenty of them, to be sure — the loudest and most frequent usually dealt with his inability to connect with East Carolina’s passionate fan base. It’s safe to say he wasn’t much of a people person, especially when… [ More… ]
VIEW FROM THE EAST
‘Shank’ back to site of past success
Steve Shankweiler has been on the East Carolina coaching staff during some of the greatest seasons in program history. Shankweiler was at ECU in 1991 when ECU went 11-1 with a 37-34 Peach Bowl win over N.C. State. When the Pirates beat West Virginia, Duke, South Carolina, Miami of Florida, Houston, Cincinnati and the Wolfpack… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat
Pirates dig a hole too deep
If the East Carolina basketball team was trying to see how dramatically it could set the stage for another improbable Minges comeback, Wednesday night against Temple marked a major miscalculation. Despite heroics to close a seismic gap that formed in the game’s early minutes, the Pirates couldn’t sustain their comeback effort against a relaxed, efficient… [ More… ]
Basketball News
Temple thwarts ECU comeback
GREENVILLE — East Carolina could not overcome a sizable early deficit in an 85-74 American Athletic Conference loss to visiting Temple on Wednesday night. The Owls won for the seventh time in their last eight games in improving to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the AAC. ECU (8-9, 1-4) fell behind 21-2 at the outset.… [ More… ]
From the Anchor Desk
Gardner’s terrific start may be just the beginning
I first saw Jayden Gardner in action last season in the high school Eastern Regional finals at Williams Arena. Gardner’s Heritage High School knocked off a very talented South Central squad, 61-55, in overtime to advance to the state 4A championship game. Gardner fouled out late in regulation with 21 points and 8 rebounds. He… [ More… ]
Insights from Brett
Crown jewel emerges to anchor program’s future
There are several conclusions can be taken away from East Carolina’s 76-65 loss at American Athletic Conference favorite Central Florida on Sunday. First and foremost is the fact that the Pirates’ young star Jayden Gardner is an elite talent and as new coach Joe Dooley observed after last week’s home upset of Cincinnati, “a guy… [ More… ]
Basketball News
Gardner outstanding in ECU loss
ORLANDO — Freshman Jayden Gardner had 35 points and 20 rebounds for East Carolina in a 76-65 American Athletic Conference loss at Central Florida on Sunday. “Great effort,” said Pirates coach Joe Dooley after Gardner’s seventh collegiate double-double. ECU (8-8, 1-3 AAC) trailed 50-29 with 16;29 to go after a 3-pointer by Aubrey Dawkins, who… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat
LeDay’s eye still on the prize after long journey
By the time he was 21, Seth LeDay was in his fourth state on a basketball odyssey that included a stellar high school career in Dallas, two junior college stops and a redshirt year at Virginia Tech. He opted to leave Blacksburg for East Carolina, only to learn that the NCAA was making him sit… [ More… ]
Basketball News
Memphis overtakes ECU
MEMPHIS — Despite leading 40-26 with three minutes left in the first half, East Carolina took a 78-72 American Athletic Conference loss at Memphis on Thursday night. The Tigers closed the first half with a 10-0 run. The Pirates regrouped to go up 49-39 with 17:36 remaining as Seth LeDay had a dunk and hit… [ More… ]
VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates turn focus to Memphis tonight
While much of the country was tuned into Clemson’s 44-16 win over Alabama on Monday night for the College Football Playoff championship, East Carolina basketball coach Joe Dooley was otherwise occupied. “I watched Memphis-Houston tape,” Dooley said. “I listened a little bit. I heard the score. That was about it.” The Pirates (8-6, 1-1 AAC)… [ More… ]
From the Anchor Desk
Pirates set out to build on breakthrough win
Joe Dooley’s Pirates fell behind 9-0 to a Cincinnati basketball team that was knocking on the AP Top 25’s door at 12-2 on the season. Add in the fact that the Pirates were coming off a miserable road loss at Southern Methodist, and this East Carolina team had every opportunity to pack it in and… [ More… ]
Insights from Brett
Milestone win gives jolt of energy to Dooley era
Every great building project needs a solid foundation. Otherwise the structure on top won’t last, no matter how architecturally sound it might be. For the long-suffering East Carolina basketball program, the first few blocks of that foundation were put down in April when Joe Dooley was brought back as coach to continue the job he… [ More… ]