.png)
.png)
Tulsa
East Carolina
Tulsa Rallies Past ECU, 72-62
2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2009
Final Stats |
Quotes |
Photo Gallery 
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -Ben Uzoh scored 23 points to lead Tulsa to a 72-62 victory over East Carolina, snapping a two-game losing streak and putting Tulsa back in the race for second place behind Memphis in Conference USA.
The Hurricane, 8-4 and 18-9 overall, erased a 10-point first-half deficit by holding the Pirates to just four free throws in the first 10:12 of the second half, in the process turning a 39-33 halftime deficit into a 51-43 lead. Uzoh scored seven points in that span, but the most impressive play as by reserve guard Glenn Andrews, who blocked a layup by Pirate guard Brock Young, grabbed the ball before it went out of bounds and rifled a pass downcourt to Justin Hurtt who slammed it home.
Hurtt had 17 points for Tulsa, including two 3-pointers in the first half to stem a 12-0 Pirate run that had given East Carolina a 27-17 lead. Jerome Jordan had 12 points and six rebounds.
Sam Hinnant led East Carolina, 5-8 and 13-13, with 21 points, 16 of those in the first half when he made all four of his 3-point attempts. The Pirates shot a torrid 53.8 percent in the first half but made just 7-of-33 field goals in the second and finished the game at 36 percent. They did finish at 43.5 percent on 3-pointers against the nation's third-ranked defense against treys at 27.4 percent.
"In the second half we settled down and really played well," said Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik. "About the only thing we changed was the way we defended the ball screens. We really tried to stay with their wings and not help out because they were shooting the ball so well."
Tulsa built a 60-48 lead with 7:10 to play on a conventional three-point play by Bishop Wheatley and kept the Pirates at bay by making 10 of 11 free throws in the final 4:10.
Darrius Morrow had 10 points and nine rebounds for East Carolina. Young had seven assists but made just 1-of-11 shots. Tulsa had a season-low five turnovers and had nine blocks.
Tulsa returns to the Reynolds Center for a Wednesday night clash against the Houston Cougars, 77-72 winners tonight over UCF. The Hurricane and Cougars come into the contest with identical 8-4 C-USA marks.
