GREENVILLE — East Carolina closed with a 7-0 run for a 67-63 American Athletic Conference win over Temple in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Sunday.
Jayden Gardner had 29 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals as the Pirates stopped a 3-game losing streak to improve to 11-17 overall and 5-10 in the AAC.
The Owls (14-13, 6-8) shot six free throws and kept possession after some grabbing and pushing at the ECU defensive end with 3:51 to go. Temple converted three from the line for a 63-60 lead.
The sequence appeared to start as J.P. Moorman II shoved Gardner out of bounds to claim an offensive rebound, but that was not called.
Tristen Newton made two free throws with 2:41 left to get the Pirates within 63-62.
Tremont Robinson-White skated in the lane for the go-ahead hoop and a 64-63 ECU lead with 1:48 remaining. Newton hit two foul shots with 10 seconds left for a 66-63 advantage.
J.J. Miles made 1-of-2 at the line with two seconds to go for the final margin. Miles finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Newton scored 10 and grabbed six rebounds.
James Miles had seven points for the Pirates and Bitumba Baruti added five.
Temple got 15 points from Quinton Rose and 12 from Monty Scott.
ECU out-rebounded the visitors, 41-39, and had fewer turnovers, 10-15, in evening the season series after a 76-64 loss at Temple on Feb. 1.
The Pirates visit South Florida (11-16, 4-10) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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