North Carolina Wesleyan @ East Carolina preview
Minges Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2014 ) NC-Wesleyan 81, East Carolina 99
East Carolina seeks to win its home opener for the 19th consecutive season when it entertains Division III North Carolina Wesleyan on Tuesday at Greenville, N.C.
The contest was hurriedly put together on Sunday, one day after Division II Belmont Abbey pulled out of a scheduled game with East Carolina (1-0) in Charlotte due to COVID-19 protocols.
The cancellation prompted Pirates coach Joe Dooley to seek an opponent so his club wouldn't go without a game prior to this Saturday's home date with Radford.
"We got back on Saturday and gave the guys the day off, and we were able to schedule this game with NC Wesleyan over the weekend," Dooley told reporters on Monday. "We were able to practice twice Sunday and (twice Monday) in preparation for a team that's got some offensive firepower. It's also just a good opportunity for our guys to play again."
East Carolina earlier pulled out of the season-opening Gulf Coast Showcase, an eight-team event in Estero, Fla., due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Pirates finally opened their season on Friday when they posted a 66-57 win at Charlotte.
Junior forward Jayden Gardner stood out down the stretch as he scored 10 of his game-high 18 points in the final six minutes.
Sophomore guard Tristen Newton added 15 points in a contest in which the Pirates held a 40-22 edge in points in the paint.
Gardner felt he and his teammates were successful in dealing with the environment in which no fans were in attendance.
"I think we did a good job at creating energy in Charlotte with the bench," Gardner said Monday. "Everyone was just rooting for each other, calling out what the team is running, and just staying positive through it all. I think that's what is going to help all of the teams around the country. Just staying positive and being excited about having the opportunity to play basketball this season."
North Carolina Wesleyan (0-2) will be playing its third consecutive Division I opponent.
The first two didn't go so well as the Battling Bishops lost 82-52 to Elon on Wednesday and 117-68 to Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
Coastal Carolina bombarded North Carolina Wesleyan by shooting 67.7 percent from the field, including 15 of 25 from 3-point range.
Sophomore guard Damon McDowell scored 23 points for the Battling Bishops and is averaging a team-high 14 points. Junior forward Isaiah Lewis is averaging 13.5 points.
North Carolina Wesleyan is committing an average of 20 turnovers per game.
Battling Bishops coach John Thompson was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. He is in his 26th season and has a 376-286 record.
East Carolina has won seven of the previous eight meetings.
--Field Level Media