Saturday's Sports Update: Rice Falls in Overtime, 91-88

By Rice Sports Information     2/12/09 6:00pm

GREENVILLE, N.C. East Carolina's James Legan connected on a three-pointer with 3.2 seconds to play in overtime as the Pirates defeated Rice 91-88 Saturday in Minges Coliseum.

The loss spoiled a career night for Rice sophomore center Trey Stanton who scored 21 points. Stanton nailed 4-of-6 three-pointers, had five assists and also grabbed five rebounds in 42 minutes of play.

With the loss, Rice dropped to 8-16 and 3-7 in Conference USA play. ECU is now 13-11 and 5-6.

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Rodney Foster's three-pointer with 11.2 seconds to play in regulation would send the game to overtime. The Owls scored the first four points of the extra stanza on a layup by Stanton and free throws by Cory Pflieger and Lawrence Ghoram who were both 1-for-2 on their trips to the line. The Pirates would have an answer for the Owls' next two baskets to keep it a one-possession game.

Jamar Abrams was fouled while going up for an offensive rebound of a Legan missed three-pointer with 1:21 to play and made both shots to cut the Owls' lead to 88-86. Stanton would miss on a layup attempt before ECU's Brock Young drove inside for a layup with 30 seconds to play, tying the game at 88-88. In transition after the basket, Rice would then turn the ball over at midcourt.

After an ECU timeout, Young ran the clock down to under 15 seconds before driving toward the court. He found Legan coming around a screen and the senior guard launched the game-winner.

Legan finished with 20 points while Young had a 17-point, 14-assist double-double.

Rice could not get off a shot before the final buzzer.

ECU built a seven-point lead midway through the second half with an 8-0 run highlighted by a Legan three-pointer. Cory Pflieger ended a four-minute scoreless drought by the Owls with a 16-foot, pullup jumper that cut the ECU lead to 65-60 with 8:35 to play.

Later, Rice traded threes for Pirate twos - a pair by Stanton then one by Foster - to cut ECU's advantage to one point, 71-70 with 4:54 to play. It would not be until the final seconds of regulation before the Owls would tie the game and eventually send it to overtime. Rodney Foster was able to shake Legan defending and nailed the tying three-pointer with 11.2 seconds to play.

Young got off a last-second shot that Stanton rebounded with about four seconds to play and the Owls turned the ball over with one second to play in regulation. However, the Pirates did not get off a final shot before the overtime period.

In the first half, Rice roared back from as much as a seven-point deficit and regained the lead with an 8-0 run capped by a Stanton three-pointer. Stanton's trey gave Rice a 32-31 lead with 4:20 to play in the period.

The first half featured 10 lead changes with Connor Frizzelle giving the Owls the lead for good in the period with a three-pointer at the 1:18 mark. Stanton would add another basket in the final minute but ECU cut the Rice advantage to 42-40 right before the break on a pair of Darrius Morrow free throws.

Morrow entered the game shooting less than 60 percent from the line but the freshman made 8-of-9 first half free throws and 13-of-15 in the game en route to 19 points.

East Carolina made 22-of-25 free throws during the game. Rice was 10-of-15 from the line.

Rice shot just over 50 percent from the line and made 12-of-26 three-pointers.

Foster led the Owls with 24 points, making 6-of-9 three-pointers. Lawrence Ghoram finished with 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Frizzelle added 12 points and had a career-high four steals.

Rice was playing in its 57th overtime game all-time and its first since Jan. 10, 2007 when the Owls defeated Tulane, 75-70, at home.

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