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BAILEY'S TAKE
ON PIRATE SPORTS
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From the Anchor Desk
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
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By Brian Bailey |
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Rout of old nemesis ignites
new optimism
©2006 Bonesville.net
The looks on the faces of the
Pirate fans told the story this past Saturday.
East Carolina took the floor
as a home underdog to an arch rival. The Pirates had just snapped a
five-game losing streak by beating Limestone, but many fans still weren’t
expecting a whole lot.
I think it’s safe to say that
very few were expected what unfolded on New Year’s Eve.
ECU got off to a hot start
against a good UNC-Wilmington team and never looked back. Expressions went
from uncertainty, to shock, to downright elation.
The Pirates put their best
game together to close out ’05, giving everyone high hopes for 2006.
“I couldn’t be any more
pleased with how hard this team played and how they’ve listened and tried to
get better,” Coach Ricky Stokes said after the win.
ECU placed five players in
double figures, led by freshman Sam Hinnant’s 18 points. The squad hit nine
of its first 12 shots, led by Jeremy Ingram’s trio of triples in the early
going. The Pirates built a 30-10 lead in the first 12 minutes of the game.
Ingram may not wear a red cape
with an “S” on his chest, but he has provided a great spark for this team.
He loves to work on the defensive side, and this squad will get better
offensively as that defense improves.
The defense confused the
Seahawks all afternoon long, especially the trapping presses.
The Pirates also showed marked
improvement at the free throw line, shooting 68 percent against UNCW.
Corey Rouse also continues to
improve at the line, and that’s a key as Rouse is just about the only inside
option for this team. Rouse is a career 52 percent free throw shooter, but
he is 24-32 over his last four games, good for 75 percent.
If there was a negative in the
win it was ECU's problems with the press. The Seahawks tried to battle back
into the game with pressure, an area that the Pirates will continue to work
on.
Next up, it’s a road trip to
Winston-Salem and a match-up with Wake Forest on Tuesday night. Coach Stokes
spent several seasons with former Deacs coach Dave Odom at Wake, so he knows
the landscape well.
Jeremy Ingram makes the return
trip to Wake after transferring to ECU, so the Pirates know what they will
be up against.
“I think I can help the guys
understand what we’ll be up against,” said Ingram. “I know what to expect on
game night, and I think I can help the other guys understand.”
The Pirates will be huge
underdogs, but you get the feeling that Ingram and Company would like
nothing better then to make a statement, win or lose, against the Demon
Deacons.
Rivalry should live on
East Carolina and UNC-Wilmington
hadn’t hooked up in hoops since the Pirates left the Colonial Athletic
Association for Conference USA in 2001.
Saturday featured a tremendous
atmosphere for college basketball, and UNCW fans had a big hand in that.
Despite the holiday weekend, the Seahawks' supporters came to Greenville in
droves. They didn’t have a lot to cheer about, but they still showed up with
great numbers and added to the excitement.
The two coaches agreed after
the game that the rivalry should continue.
“If you like college
basketball, you’ve got to like it,” said Stokes.
Wilmington’s Brad Brownell
agreed.
“I don’t see a negative
involved,” said Brownell. “I was disappointed when the series stopped after
East Carolina left for Conference USA. I think it is great for both
programs, and I really like the series.”
East Carolina Athletic
Director Terry Holland joked that the AD’s wanted to play several games each
season.
“We might play a
doubleheader,” Holland quipped. “We’ll play at our place in the afternoon,
and then go to Wilmington at night!”
When the two teams were in the
CAA, ECU and UNCW played twice a year, with each team hosting a game.
Those days may return, as East
Carolina looks to shore up its non-league schedule with regional rivalry
type games to rev up fan’s interest.
It was a great way to wrap up
2005 for East Carolina. Hopefully, it was the start of an exciting 2006 for
all sports at ECU!
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02/23/2007 01:33:21 AM |
