East Carolina defeats Presbyterian 74-53

East Carolina Dominates Presbyterian in Statement Win

The East Carolina Pirates made a statement on Friday night, dominating their non-conference opponent Presbyterian College 74-53 at Minges Coliseum.

From the opening tip, it was clear that this was going to be an afternoon of blowout basketball. The home team came out firing on all cylinders, leading by as many as 22 points in the first half. East Carolina's balanced attack, which featured 24 points from junior Jordan Riley, 21 from sophomore Giovanni Emejuru, and 13 from senior Corey Caulker, proved to be too much for Presbyterian to handle.

The visiting Lions struggled to find their footing on offense, making just 40% of their field goal attempts. They were also outrebounded by a wide margin, 27-26, which further exacerbated the deficit.

Despite some late-game runs from the Lions, East Carolina's defense held strong, limiting Presbyterian to just one 3-pointer in the second half. The Pirates' bench played a key role in securing the win, scoring 24 points and outscoring their opponents 12-8 on the glass.

East Carolina's performance was marked by several impressive advanced statistics, including an eFG% of 59.1%, a true shooting percentage of 66.7%, and an OREB% of 14.8%. These numbers demonstrate just how well the Pirates' offense functioned in the paint, where they outscored Presbyterian by 34-38.

The win marked East Carolina's first statement victory of the season, and it's clear that this team is looking to make a push for postseason success. With this impressive performance under their belt, the Pirates will look to build on this momentum as they head into the second half of their non-conference schedule.

For Presbyterian College, which fell to 0-3 on the season, the tough road ahead may be just what they need to get back on track. The Lions will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to turn their season around, but for now, it's clear that East Carolina is the team to beat in this conference.

Box Score

East Carolina: 74

Presbyterian College: 53