ECU Falls 82-78 to UNCG Despite Jordan Riley’s 25 Points
East Carolina had every chance to turn the corner on Saturday afternoon inside Minges Coliseum. Still, another frustrating, mistake-filled performance instead led to an 82-78 loss to UNCG, dropping the Pirates to 3-6 overall and just 2-6 against Division I competition.
The Spartans entered the game with one of the stranger résumés in the country, having already endured blowout losses to NC State and Kansas State, as well as setbacks to Elon, Queens, Delaware, UNC Asheville, Youngstown State, and Austin Peay. But they looked nothing like a struggling team against ECU, playing their best basketball of the season at the Pirates’ expense.
UNCG got 23 points and eight rebounds from Justin Neely, while Lilian Marville poured in 22. Even former ECU forward Valentino Pinedo, who played a minimal role during two seasons in Greenville, came back to haunt his old squad. Pinedo went 3-for-3 for six points, adding three assists, one board and two steals in 24 minutes.
Meanwhile, ECU entered the day ranked 300th in the NET and 269th in KenPom, and Saturday did little to change the narrative.
A Night of Missed Opportunities and Late Mistakes
ECU actually started strong, building a 17-8 lead early behind high-effort plays in the paint. But foul trouble, turnovers, and defensive lapses slowly flipped the momentum. UNCG eventually led for 28:44 of the 40 minutes, stretching the margin to as many as 12.
Still, ECU clawed back. The Pirates tied the game at 63-63 with 4:16 left, thanks to a burst of energy from the defense and tough buckets from Jordan Riley.
But three turnovers between 4:54 and 1:59 proved fatal. UNCG capitalized each time, rebuilding its lead and keeping the Pirates at arm’s length until the final horn.
ECU Individual Performances
Jordan Riley once again led the charge, posting 25 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-21 shooting.
Giovanni Emejuru was outstanding in the paint, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Isaiah Mbeng provided a spark with 7 points, 2 steals, and a late three-pointer to cut the deficit, while Corey Caulker filled the stat sheet with 5 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds.
ECU dominated second-chance points (24) and points in the paint (44), but the Pirates’ 15 turnovers and 25% shooting from three ultimately erased any advantages.
Schwartz: “This team is not going to give up.”
Head coach Michael Schwartz didn’t sugarcoat his frustration afterward, but he emphasized the team’s resolve and the work still ahead.
"This team is not going to give up, I can promise you that," Schwartz said. "I know every day how we work. Pissed off that we didn't win, but the team is not going to give up. I heard that locker room right now, and I know where this team is. We're not here yet (holds hands together), and we're going to keep working, coming in tomorrow, and the next day, and keep working, to get there, and again uncover every single detail that might take us that direction."
Schwartz also highlighted the team’s Achilles heel — turnovers from players simply trying to handle the ball.
"The number one thing on our board coming into the game, even coming off a game where we only turned it over 10 times, was ball security… you cannot have turnovers from guards that are just handling the basketball, trying to make a simple catch, trying to make a simple pass."
"We're just going to have to keep working on it to get better."
What’s Next
ECU returns to the court on Thursday, Dec. 11, hosting Appalachian State inside Minges Coliseum. With the Pirates’ NET and KenPom rankings sinking, this becomes a critical opportunity to stop the slide and regain momentum before conference play.