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I bet that you didn’t know that the “GRINCH” is a Chanticleer.
If you don’t believe me, just ask East Carolina basketball
coach Bill Herrion.
Coastal Carolina 90, East Carolina 71..?
Merry Christmas?
Troy Butler scored 23 points against a Pirate team known for
defense, and the Chanticleers hit 57 percent from the field in the second
half to blow the game open.
Coastal was also 9-17 from the three-point line in the game.
“We were just thoroughly, thoroughly outplayed in the game,”
said Herrion after the loss Monday night. “Our inability to stop Troy Butler
early on set the tone, and we never recovered. Coastal just looked like the
hungrier team, and that really concerns me.”
Gabriel Mikulas was the lone bright spot for East Carolina.
Mikulas scored 21 points and was 8-10 from the field.
Two other Pirates scored in double figures. Belton Rivers
had 12 points and Luke MacKay chipped in 10.
For MacKay, it was by far his best night as a Pirate, after
sitting out while dealing with personal issues from his homeland of
Australia.
Herrion was obviously disappointed with the loss, but his
team is still off to a great season-opening stretch.
“It’s Christmas, and we’re 8-2 and that’s a nice start,”
said Herrion. “We just need to take a couple of days off and then get back
to work.”
Herrion points out that it’s a much different game now that
the Pirates are in their second season of playing in Conference USA.
“With the success that we’ve had, we are now a big game for
some teams,” Herrion explained. “It’s like we have a target on our backs in
some of these games. But down the line, games like this will make us
better.”
It will take some kind of “mental” job to get this team
ready for Marquette next week. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Bill
Herrion.
SEASON'S GREETINGS TO ALL
PIRATE FANS
I just wanted to take a quick moment to wish all Pirate fans
everywhere a Merry Christmas.
It is truly and honor and a privilege to work at WNCT-TV, to
host a radio/cable television call-in show, and to write this column.
We don’t always agree on everything, but we usually do agree
on one thing, and that is our pride in eastern North Carolina and in East
Carolina University.
