GREENVILLE — Missing some key personnel, East Carolina avoided an upset by Division II Elizabeth City State, 71-70, as the Vikings had a turnover on the game’s final possession.

Giovanni Emejuru had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates (2-1).

ECU was without Jordan Riley, who was averaging a team-high 20.0 points and Trevion LaBeaux, who will undergo season-ending surgery. Riley was ruled out due to illness about an hour before tipoff.

Jayshayne Woodard was limited to 10 minutes late in the game.

“Too many turnovers,” said ECU coach Mike Schwartz after the Pirates committed 20.

The Vikings dressed 20 for what was an exhibition for the visitors, who got 20 points from Trevor Smith and 15 from Jaquantae Harris.

“They played 14 players and we were down to a rotation of seven,” Schwartz said.

A follow dunk by Emejuru gave ECU a 71-65 lead with 1:42 to go. ECSU got a three from C.J. McCord with 1:31 remaining and a pull-up jumper by Harris with 47 seconds to go to get within one.

Harris lost the ball as he drove the lane in the closing seconds.

ECU’s biggest lead was seven points, at 22-15, with 9:45 left in the first half.

Tybo Bailey scored 19 points for the Pirates, who made 20 of 24 free throws for 83.3 percent. Eli DeLaurier had 11 rebounds and four assists as ECU had a 46-28 advantage on the boards. Corey Caulker added eight points.

The Pirates play at UNC Wilmington on Tuesday at 7 p.m. so correcting mistakes has some urgency.

“We’ve got to take care of the basketball,” Schwartz said. “Guard play has got to be better … and we’ve got to get healthy.”