Catch Bonesville's exclusive
weekly Internet radio program, BONESVILLE HUDDLE, featuring insightful
give-and-take between columnists Al Myatt, Brian Bailey
and Denny O'Brien. (Posted in Windows Media Format
each Wednesday for streaming on demand.)
Bill Herrion’s East Carolina basketball team has made great
strides in Conference USA and pulled off some remarkable accomplishments in
the process.
What the Pirates have yet to figure out, though, is just how
to win on the road in the league.
ECU fell to 0-9 on the road in C-USA over the last two years
with Saturday night’s 83-62 loss at Charlotte.
As disappointing as losing is, how this team lost was
perhaps the biggest problem. Charlotte scored the game’s first 14 points and
never looked back in the game.
“We just have to somehow put the loss behind us,” said
Herrion just before Monday night’s practice at Williams Arena. “We certainly
didn’t play hard enough at both ends to win at Charlotte. We have to give it
a better effort on Thursday night."
Rick Pitino’s Louisville team heads into Thursday night's
Williams Arena showdown ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll. The
Cards' high profile on the national landscape offers another great chance
for this Pirate program to take another huge step in hoops.
“I think our guys understand what’s at stake,” said Herrion.
“Louisville is on a great run and they are playing outstanding basketball.
We’ll have to be at our best for sure.”
Late word from the ECU ticket office is that this should be
the Pirate’s second sellout of the season. It will certainly have a
prime-time, albeit late feel, with the tip-off set for just after 9pm on
Thursday night.
Cards set to fly on game day
According to the Louisville Sports Information office, the
Cardinals will work out in Louisville on Thursday morning, before taking a
charter to straight to Greenville.
Chartering a plane in and out of Greenville gives teams a
definite advantage over the Pirates. There is a huge difference between a
straight-shot charter flight, and busing to and from Raleigh for a
commercial flight.
Some teams fly in a day early, to get acclimated to an arena
with an extra practice. However, the Cardinals will make the long trip in
one day. Here’s hoping it’s a real long day and night for Rick Pitino’s
team.
Congrats to Coach Baldwin,
now Mrs. Baldwin-Tener
East Carolina’s Lady Pirates also lost their road game with
Charlotte this past weekend, falling 83-57 on Friday.
Coach Sharon Baldwin’s weekend wasn’t a total loss, though.
The coach married Matt Tener in Charlotte on Saturday in a private ceremony.
“We had planned on getting married during the holidays,”
said Baldwin-Tener. “We just never got around to it, so we made it official
this past weekend.”
Speaking of Charlotte, the Lady 49ers take on East Carolina
again this Sunday. ECU and Charlotte are travel partners on the women’s
side, and the wacky schedule has the two teams playing each other twice in
nine days.
