The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
East Carolina hangs around, nips UAB, 67-64
2/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2005
Box Score |  Quotes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Japhet McNeil hit four free throws in the final 35 seconds and East Carolina survived a scare at the buzzer to upset UAB 67-64 on Wednesday.
McNeil's final two free throws gave East Carolina a 67-64 lead with 4.3 seconds left. UAB moved the ball down floor quickly and Richard Jones got off a 3-point shot at the buzzer that fell well short.
But McNeil was whistled for a foul on the shot, giving Jones three free throws with no time left on the clock. The first free throw bounced off the front of the rim, ending the game.
"Believe it or not we have been playing very good basketball for about the last month," East Carolina head coach Bill Herrion said. "We play in such a difficult league. For us to come in here tonight and win this game with arguably two of our better offensive players not much of a factor- and then Mike Cook who is our leading scorer-who was really struggling with the basket, it says a lot about our kids."
Freshman guard Tom Hammonds scored 16 points to lead East Carolina (8-16, 3-9 Conference USA). Corey Rouse added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Pirates.
Marques Lewis scored 17 points for UAB (16-8, 6-5). Donell Taylor added 12 points and Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson had 10 for the Blazers, who lost their third game in a row.
"I'm very disappointed and frustrated, but you've got to give credit to East Carolina," UAB head coach Mike Anderson said. "They didn't go away. They did what you've got to do on the road, and that's hang around and hang around. Before you know it, looking at the free throw line, and there's the difference right there. We knocked down free throws, but they shoot 81% in the game. That's the difference in the ballgame."
The victory was East Carolina's first on the road this season. For much of the night, it looked like the Pirates would come up short again.
UAB led by as many as 10 points in the first half and went into intermission with a 35-32 lead.
The Blazers built another 10-point lead early in the second half. But East Carolina battled back to take a 59-57 lead when Moussa Badiane scored six points in a row.
UAB tied it at 59-59, but Rouse worked inside for a layup to give East Carolina a 61-59 lead with just under three minutes left. The Pirates stayed in front the rest of the way, thanks to McNeil's clutch free throw shooting.
