East Carolina survived a sloppy, turnover-filled night in Minges Coliseum on Thursday, edging out the ECSU Vikings despite being without Trevy Emejuru, who is out for the season, and Jordan Riley and Bobby Woodard, who both missed the game due to illness.
It was far from ECU’s best performance of the young season. Now sitting at 2-1, the Pirates head down the road to face UNC Wilmington on Tuesday. Strong on-ball defense and timely guard play helped them hold off the Vikings.
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Coach Schwartz on ECSU’s Defense
When asked about ECSU’s physicality and pressure:
> “Well, I thought in the first half—again, I knew they would be a good team. When that ball got in there, they were swarming him.”
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Early-Season Woes
Thursday night showed how far both teams still have to go before conference play begins next month.
ECU struggled to take care of the basketball, committing 20 turnovers—many of them unforced or caused by ECSU’s active on-ball pressure, which led directly to transition points. The Pirates also shot an abysmal 3-for-21 from three-point range, preventing them from ever finding a rhythm on offense.
ECSU, meanwhile, rebounded well, hit mid-range shots and timely threes, and consistently clogged the paint with doubled-down help defense. The Vikings were no strangers to facing Division I opponents, and with Riley and Woodard out, ECU was forced to lean heavily on a young, inexperienced lineup.
In the final timeout, Coach Schwartz made a key defensive adjustment—putting ECU’s bigs higher on the perimeter to run ECSU off the three-point line. A late kick-ball call and a controversial no-call in the closing seconds added drama, but the Pirates held on.---
Key Positives
Schwartz noted in his postgame presser that this was a meaningful moment for such a young team missing veteran contributors. Guard Bailey stood out, delivering the best game of his young career—something that has become a trend for guards in the Schwartz era. The coaching staff praised several young players who were thrown into bigger roles, pointing toward a bright future for the program.
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Defense: The Pirates’ Calling Card
Defense remains ECU’s identity. Throughout the night, the Pirates shifted between man-to-man traps, half-court pressure, and full-court looks.
Without the interior presence of Emejuru, ECU leaned heavily on perimeter defense—highlighted by guard Corey Caulker, whose man-to-man effort prevented several potential momentum swings. Without those stops, this game may have gone the other way.---
East Carolina On the Road Tuesday
The Pirates pulled out another one-possession win—something they’ve already experienced this season. ECU hopes to get healthier quickly before traveling to face UNC Wilmington on Tuesday.
The Pirates are expected to spend today in the film room, where this young roster will be challenged. But Schwartz’s staff has shown time and time again that they can develop players at a high level.
ECU beat the Vikings, and all signs point to Jordan Riley likely returning for Tuesday night’s matchup.