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Houston free throws snuff big ECU comeback

From wire and staff reports

GREENVILLE — It was a game full of thrills and chills but the outcome of the farewell outing in front of the home partisans by Coach Bill Herrion and center Moussa Badiane didn't have the happy ending the two would have preferred.

Houston guard Lanny Smith made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 19 seconds to preserve a 76-72 win over East Carolina in a Conference USA game Saturday.

In his final home game, Badiane, an articulate and personable senior from France who has become a fan favorite in his four years on the west side of the Atlantic, scored a game-high 22 points.

The game also marked the final appearance in Minges Coliseum's Williams Arena for ECU head coach Bill Herrion, who was asked last week to step down at the end of the season.

Sophomore Mike Cook and freshman Tom Hammonds each scored 16 points for the Pirates, who turned what appeared to be a rout in the making into a fight to the finish.

East Carolina (9-18, 4-11) trailed by 18, 67-49, with 8:41 remaining, but went on a 22-6 run over the next eight minutes to cut its deficit to two, 73-71, with 42 seconds left.

Badiane converted one of two free throws with 27.5 seconds left to get the Pirates within a point before Smith went to the foul line.

Four players scored in double figures for Houston (18-10, 9-5). Cedrick Hensley came off the bench to lead the Cougars with 20 points. Smith had 18 points, Andre Owens had 17 and Chris Lawson had 11.

East Carolina, in 12th place in C-USA, will finish its regular slate next Saturday at 13th-place Tulane (9-13, 3-11).

The Pirates can assure themselves of one of the 14-team league's 12 conference tournament berths by beating the Green Wave.

The Kelly Tires Conference USA Tournament will be conducted Mar. 9-12 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

 

 

BOX SCORE

HOUSTON 76, EAST CAROLINA 72

Records: ECU 9-18, 4-11 C-USA; UH 18-10, 9-5.
Halftime: Houston 36-31.

HOUSTON
Player         FG      FT   Pts
de Randamie   1-1     0-0     2
Dyer         3-10     0-0     7
Latham        0-3     1-4     1
Owens        6-11     4-5    17
Smith        6-13     4-6    18
Brannon       0-1     0-0     0
Lawson        4-6     0-2    11
Jones         0-0     0-0     0
Hensley      7-10     6-7    20
Hannah        0-0     0-0     0
Anderson      0-0     0-0     0
Totals      27-55   15-24    76

EAST CAROLINA
Player         FG      FT   Pts
Rouse         3-9     2-2     8
Badiane       7-9     8-9    22
McNeil        1-4     5-6     8
Hammonds      6-9     1-1    16
Cook         6-17     2-4    16
Kilgore       0-0     2-2     2
Gagnon        0-0     0-0     0
King          0-1     0-0     0
Hart          0-0     0-0     0
Castro        0-2     0-0     0
Totals      23-51   20-24    72

3-Point goals: Houston 7-22 (Lawson 3-5, Smith 2-5, Owens 1-4, Dyer 1-5, Latham 0-1, Hensley 0-2); East Carolina 6-10 (Hammonds 3-6, Cook 2-2, McNeil 1-1, King 0-1).

Fouled out: McNeil, Rouse.

Rebounds: Houston 30 (Hensley 8); East Carolina 29 (Rouse 9).

Assists: Houston 13 (Smith 5); East Carolina 16 (McNeil 10).

Total fouls: Houston 22, East Carolina 19.

Technical fouls: Smith.

Attendance: 5,705.

 

02/23/07 10:56 AM

©2004 The Associated Press. All rights rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net contributed to this report.

 

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