Local Teams

Jayden Gardner recorded a double-double and East Carolina turned a scorching shooting display into an 82-73 upset victory over No. 5 Houston on Wednesday in Greenville, NC.

Gardner paired 21 points with 15 rebounds but received plenty of support as four others scored in double figures for the Pirates (8-6, 2-6 American Athletic), who snapped a five-game skid dating back to Dec. 22. East Carolina shot 47.4 percent and, after entering the game shooting 31.9 percent on 3-pointers, made 11 of 24 from behind the arc to snap the Cougars' eight-game winning streak.

Tremont Robinson-White scored 17 points on 5 of 8 3-point shooting, while Bitumba Baruti added 13 points and three 3-pointers. J.J. Miles added 14 points while Tristen Newton posted 10 points and six assists. Robinson-White and Baruti nailed 3s during a 10-1 run in the second half that enabled the Pirates to take control. East Carolina snapped a nine-game skid against Houston.

The Cougars (15-2, 10-2 American) shot just 8 of 31 in the second half and missed 15 of 18 3s to lose pace. DeJon Jarreau scored a season-high 25 points and Marcus Sasser chipped in 17 but Houston, which entered leading the nation in field-goal percentage defense, was outgunned.

The Pirates overcame an early drought of 3:06 leading into the first media timeout with three consecutive shots and a 7-0 run that produced a 13-11 lead. The remainder of the first half featured a series of runs by both teams, with Houston struggling by committing four turnovers during one four-minute stretch only to respond with a 7-0 run that forced a Pirates timeout.

The Cougars appeared poised to take control, leading 26-19 before East Carolina drilled consecutive 3s, the second from Robinson-White which cut the deficit to one point. Two Gardner free throws at the 5:10 mark provided the Pirates the lead, and the Cougars needed a surge to reclaim the lead at 40-37 by the intermission.

Still, East Carolina amassed the most points against the Cougars in the first half this season, courtesy of 7 of 13 3-point shooting.

The first half featured eight lead changes and seven ties. The Pirates not only shot 14 of 29 from the floor, they also converted six Houston turnovers into eight points to remain in contention.

--Field Level Media