University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
East Carolina
Boatright Leads UConn Past ECU, 60-49
2/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GREENSVILLE, N.C. - University of Connecticut senior guard Ryan Boatright (Aurora, Ill.) scored a game-high 16 points and freshman Daniel Hamilton (Los Angeles, Calif.) grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds to lead UConn to a 60-49 victory over East Carolina on Wednesday night at Williams Arena. With the win, the Huskies improve to 16-11 overall and 9-6 in American Athletic play.
UConn sophomore center Amida Brimah (Accra, Ghana) and redshirt sophomore guard Rodney Purvis (Raleigh, N.C.) each had 12 points for the Huskies, who used a 14-2 run to start the second half to sweep the season series against ECU (12-16, 5-10).
Hamilton added nine points and a game-high five assists. UConn won its first road game since a 62-53 victory at Tulane on Feb. 7 and recorded its third league win away from home this season.
Marshall Guilmette scored 13 points to lead the Pirates, who were hosting a defending national champion for the first time in school history.B.J. Tyson added 11 for ECU, which shot just 32.2 percent from the field, including 3 of 20 from 3-point range.
Brimah's dunk capped the Huskies' game-changing run and made it 38-35 UConn with 12:03 left in the game.
ECU's Lance Tejada hit a 3 to tie the game at the 11:31 mark, but Purvis, a Raleigh native playing about an hour and a half from home, answered with a 3-pointer to put UConn back on top for good, 41-38.
The Huskies took their biggest lead on two Boatright free throws that completed the scoring with 1:05 left to play.
In the first half, the Pirates used a 15-3 run to take a 25-17 lead. Tyson hit consecutive layups in the final minute, including a driving score past Boatright with two ticks left to give ECU a 33-24 lead at halftime.
TIP-INS
UConn: Boatright had three 3-pointers in the first half, one more than East Carolina had as a team. . Brimah blocked six shots before fouling out with 1:54 left to play. ECU: Terry Whisnant had a career-high nine rebounds. . The crowd of 6,856 was the largest of the season for the Pirates.
UP NEXT
UConn hosts SMU on Sunday.
East Carolina visits Central Florida on Saturday.
