ECU uses huge fourth quarter comeback to defeat Wichita State

The East Carolina University women’s basketball team, led by freshman guard Lashonda Monk’s 19 points and four steals, staged a furious fourth quarter comeback in a 77-67 win over Wichita State University last night inside Minges for its first career program victory against the Shockers.

ECU went into the fourth quarter down 11, but outscored the Shockers 30-9 in the final frame, including a massive 19-2 run over a 6:40 stretch in the middle of the fourth quarter. Senior forward Mickayla Sanders led the charge with eight fourth quarter points on her own.

The Pirates started out strong, leading 20-18 after the first quarter, with Monk getting seven of her 19 points in the opening frame. Wichita State used a 10-0 second quarter run to take the lead and kept it up, taking a 38-31 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Shockers pushed the lead even further as they jumped out to a 10-2 run to start the third quarter, making their lead margin 16 points midway through the quarter. The lead eventually grew to 21, with Wichita State looking as if it had run away with the 58-37 lead going into the fourth quarter, however, this is when the Pirates took charge.

Along with Monk’s outstanding statline, the Pirates had four other players in double figures. Sanders, along with junior guard Alex Frazier and senior center Thais Oliveira finished with 12 points each, while junior forward Salita Greene polished off 10 points of her own.

The Shockers were led by forward Rangie Bessard with 21 points and seven rebounds, as well as forward Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage with 14 points and 10 rebounds. For Bessard, it was the sixth time in nine games she had led the Shockers in scoring and the loss snapped their five-game winning streak.

The Pirates have now won three of their last four games and will look for their first three-game winning streak since December, when they play Southern Methodist University Saturday inside Minges at 5 p.m.