The East Carolina Pirates and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane will both be gunning for a victory on 2/26/2017 at 4:00 PM when they meet in a game matchup.
East Carolina Pirates vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane
When: 4:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 26, 2017
Where: Donald Reynolds Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| ROT | TEAM | PS | OU | ML |
| 837 | East Carolina Pirates | -6.5 (-110) | 130 (-110) | 210 -270 |
| 838 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane |
TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU
LINE: -6.5
PREDICTION: Tulsa 68, East Carolina 64
Oddsmakers currently have the TULSA listed as -6.5 point favorites versus the E CAROLINA, while the game’s total is sitting at 130.
East Carolina goes after its first winning streak in American Athletic Conference play this season on Sunday, when it visits a Tulsa team that also will be seeking its second straight win following a six-game losing streak. The Pirates, who rank 333rd in the nation in field-goal percentage (39.7), shot 58.1 percent and scored 47 points in the second half to rally past Tulane 76-73 on Tuesday, while the Golden Hurricane finished strong to beat last-place South Florida 82-68 two days later.
Caleb White scored all 17 of his points against Tulane in the second half and led four players in double figures as the Pirates won for the fourth time in their last eight conference games after starting 1-6. East Carolina ranks eighth in field-goal percentage defense (38.6 percent) and 15th in blocked shots (5.5) thanks in large part to Andre Washington, a 7-1 graduate student who recorded a career-high seven blocks against Tulane and is fifth in the nation in that category (3.1). The Golden Hurricane only have one player – redshirt junior Junior Etou (12.4 points, seven rebounds) – averaging in double digits in points, but he was the only starter against USF who didn’t reach 10 as Tulsa scored 82 points after averaging only 54.8 during its losing streak. “We’ve seen this before, so we just came together and knew it was winning time,” senior guard Pat Birt told reporters about the team’s mindset prior to a late 11-1 run that assured the win. “We just had to gut-up and go even harder so we could get the  win. We just kept telling each other, ‘Don’t give up, don’t give up, don’t give up.'”
ABOUT EAST CAROLINA (13-15, 5-10 American Athletic Conference): Kentrell Barkley (12.1 points, 7.6 rebounds), who tied White for team scoring honors against Tulane with 17 while going 6-of-8, leads the Pirates in scoring but – like most of his teammates – is shooting below 40 percent on a squad that ranks 336th in points (62.4). The young Pirates started three freshmen versus Tulane – including point guard Jeremy Sheppard (9.3 points, 3.5 assists), who is showing steady improvement as he gains experience. In addition to being a rim protector, Washington (7.2 points, 7.3 rebounds) is shooting 56.2 percent, making him the only one of the team’s top seven scorers better than 40.
ABOUT TULSA (13-14, 7-8): There is no doubt the Pirates know who Etou is, as the forward torched them for 31 points while pulling down 12 rebounds earlier this season in a 69-66 loss. Tulsa has good depth in the backcourt with four players – Birt, Sterling Taplin, Jaleel Wheeler and Corey Henderson Jr. – averaging between 8.1 and 9.6 points with a combined 101 made 3-pointers. Freshman forward Martins Igbanu (5.4 points) has started eight games, including each of the last six, and is averaging 8.6 points on 21-of-35 shooting as a starter.
TIP-INS
1. Tulsa leads the AAC in free-throw percentage in league games (76.6 percent) while East Carolina ranks last (62.6 percent).
2. The Golden Hurricane lead the all-time series 15-3 and is 8-1 at home against the Pirates.
3. Washington has blocked 86 shots and needs just four more to set a new school record.
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