You could hear a pin drop in Minges Coliseum after the Houston Cougars hit their seventh 3-pointer in seven tries and the momentum never shifted the Pirates’ way as the Cougars cruised to a 74-58 victory.
Houston (13-4, 4-1 American Athletic Conference) came into the game No. 2 in the AAC and No. 34 in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.5 percent and it was evident in its win over the Pirates. ECU had no answer for the Cougars as they shot 13-for-23 from behind the arc. The loss marked the fourth in a row for ECU (9-9, 1-4 AAC)
“Boy, did they shoot it well,” said ECU head coach Jeff Lebo. “That was as good of a start of a game as I have seen in a long time. Their guard play was outstanding, that’s the strength of their team, and when they shoot it like that they are tough to beat.”
Although there was no true scorer for the Pirates, center Andre Washington was a dominant force for ECU, as he made all four of his field goal attempts and went to the line seven times, converting on four. He ended the game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, earning him his third double-double of the season.
“[Washington] played well, he rebounded the ball well,” said Lebo. “It was a tough game for him. They played small, but he did a good job tonight rebounding the ball well for us, scoring the ball well for us around the rim, and he shot it a little better at the foul line, so that was a good sign.”
The Pirates will have little time to regroup their composure, as they will face the No. 22 Cincinnati Bearcats Sunday at home. Lebo knows getting his team back on track will not come easy against a tough opponent.
“We’re going to do what we always do, we are going to work hard, prepare our team like we always do. We are always prepared,” Lebo said. “Our guys are working hard, they are shooting at game speed. It’s in their head now. It’s easy to see that.”
Junior guard B.J. Tyson, the team’s leading scorer, went down in the second half after an alley-oop dunk, apparently injuring his left knee after landing. Though Lebo didn’t speculate on a potential return for Tyson, he was seen using crutches after being helped off the court.
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