Erika Wakefield Scores 1,000th Career Point in 59-57 Loss to ECU

Tuesday, February 20

Reynolds Center

7:00 pm

Tulsa

9-18, 3-11AAC

ECU

15-12, 7-7AAC

ECU

Tulsa

Erika Wakefield Scores 1,000th Career Point in 59-57 Loss to ECU

2/20/2018 9:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Final Stats in PDF l Final Stats in HTML l Season Stats in PDF

Erika Wakefield scored her 1,000^th career point and finished the game with a career-high 27 points as Tulsa dropped a 59-57 decision to ECU on Tuesday evening at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. TU fell to 9-18 on the season and 3-11 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Pirates moved to 15-12 overall and 7-7 in the league.

"I think that is great for Erika," Head Coach Matilda Mossman said. "She was attacking and getting to the free throw line, and that's what we needed her to do. It was a good night for her, but bittersweet in her mind I'm sure."

Wakefield became just the 11^th women's basketball player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark, following Lila Osceola (1996-98, 1999-2000), Kasie Pittman (1996-2000), Leela Farr (1997-2002), Carla Morrow (1998-2002), Megan Moody (2002-06), Jillian Robbins (2003-07), Larrissa Williams (2006-10), Taleya Mayberry (2009-13), Ashley Clark (2012-16) and Kelsee Grovey (2012-16).

Wakefield was the only Golden Hurricane player to score in double digits as Crystal Polk added eight points, and Shug Dickson and Alexis Gaulden each had six. Jasmine Butler had a team-leading and career-high 11 rebounds and two blocks, and Wakefield added three steals and two assists.

"Jasmine was key on the rebounding," Mossman said. "We needed someone to be physical, and not only the rebounds and blocks, but she kept balls alive."

Tulsa had a 50-41 lead in rebounds, while ECU had a 9-5 lead in assists, a 7-3 advantage in blocks and a 13-7 lead in steals.

Tulsa shot 29-percent from the field, just seven-percent from behind the arc and 74-percent from the free throw line, while ECU shot 36-percent from the field, 30-percent from three-point range and 52-percent from the charity stripe.

"I think you can read anything you want to out of the stat sheet, but bottom line we lost," Mossman said. "We got more rebounds and got to the line more times, but we didn't hit enough outside shots to win the game."

ECU climbed to a seven-point lead, 46-39, with 7:59 left in the contest, but TU battled back to pull within one, 48-47, at the 5:14 mark and the Hurricane took a 52-50 lead at the 3:16 mark. The Pirates tied it up again on a layup by Alex Frazier, and then she gave them the lead with the and-one free throw just 10 seconds later.

The final three minutes were tightly contested with neither team owning more than a one-possession lead, to lead changes and three tied scores, including a 57-57 score with 37.9 seconds remaining.

A made jumper by Destiny Campbell with just 14-seconds to play put ECU up 59-57 for the final score.

Tulsa got out to a 9-4 lead at the 6:46 mark of the first quarter, but the Golden Hurricane had two starters in early foul trouble as Crystal Polk and Morgan Brady both had two fouls with 5:14 remaining in the frame and were sitting on the bench.

ECU battled back to take a 10-9 advantage with 3:58 left to play in the first quarter, but Wakefield scored on a layup with just 1:57 remaining in the frame for her 1,000^th career point to give TU back the lead with an 11-10 advantage.

The teams traded the lead once more and had two more tied scores to end the first quarter knotted up at 14-14.

There were two more lead changes and one additional tied score in the second period, with ECU owning a 12-10 scoring advantage in the quarter to take a 26-24 lead into the break. The Pirates were shooting 40-percent from the field in the first half, while the Hurricane was shooting at a 25-percent clip.

ECU maintained the lead until a layup by Alexis Gaulden tied the contest at 37-all with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter, but a three-pointer by Mickayla Sanders with 56-seconds on the clock gave the Pirates a 40-37 advantage with one frame remaining.

The Pirates were led by Frazier with 16 points, while Lashonda Monk added 12. Thais Oliveira had 11 rebounds and five steals.

Tulsa will return to action on Saturday, February 24 at Memphis. Game time is set for 1:00 pm at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis, Tenn.