GREENVILLE — East Carolina won its second straight game on Tuesday night in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, downing Maryland Eastern Shore, 71-57, as Jayden Gardner had 22 points and 13 rebounds.
It was the fifth double-double of the season for Gardner.
Freshman Brandon Suggs added 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Pirates (4-7) for his first collegiate double-double.
ECU had its biggest lead at 31-10 on a jumper by Gardner with 2:44 left in the first half.
The Pirates hit 20 of 25 free throws for 80 percent and outscored the Hawks (1-11) by a 20-0 margin in fast-break points.
ECU led 35-16 at the half.
“I thought we took our foot off the gas,” said Pirates coach Joe Dooley after his team was outscored 41-36 over the last 20 minutes.
UMES has played a challenging schedule that includes road loses at Penn State, Liberty, Stanford, Oklahoma and Baylor.
A.J. Cheeseman came off the bench to lead the visitors’ scoring with 15 points.
Bitumba Baruti had nine points in the win. Tyrie Jackson and Tristen Newton added eight points each. J.J. Miles scored six.
ECU hosts Charlotte on Sunday at 4 p.m. The 49ers are 5-4 going into a home game Thursday at 7 p.m. with UMES.
Dooley said following the game on Tuesday night that Seth LeDay had left the team.
LeDay, a transfer from Virginia Tech, had averaged 8.7 points, four rebounds and 17.5 minutes as a reserve in ECU’s first six games. LeDay was the lone senior on the Pirates’ roster.
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