Box Score (.pdf)

Greenville, N.C. – Mike Cunningham recorded a career-high 18 points Friday evening, leading three Spartans in double-figures, but the USC Upstate men's basketball team fell to the East Carolina Pirates 82-71 in non-conference action inside Minges Coliseum.

Upstate falls to 1-9 overall while East Carolina improves its record to 5-3 on the season.

Cunningham also set new career-highs tonight after going 6-of-8 shooting and 5-of-7 from three. The six made field goals and five three-pointers are both career-bests for the freshman. Deion Holmes compiled his eighth game this season with at least 10 points after scoring 15, while Michael Buchanan picked up his third straight double-digit scoring effort with 14 points.

B.J. Tyson scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Pirates and was one of four players to finish in double-figures. Kentrell Barkley led all players with nine rebounds.

East Carolina opened the game on an 8-0 run and took an eight-point lead with 16:39 left following a pair of free throws from Clarence Williams. Upstate answered back with the next five points to cut its deficit down to 8-5 at the 15:53 mark after Jure Span nailed a three-pointer. The Pirates answered the Span three with two Barkley free throws to push their lead back to 12-5.

Buchanan and Holmes sparked an 8-2 run for the Spartans over nearly a two-minute stretch to take their first lead of the game, 15-14, after a triple by Holmes. Buchanan scored the first three points before Holmes followed with a jumper and three. Upstate led by as many as four late in the first half when Cunningham gave it a 27-23 lead with 5:28 remaining.

East Carolina finished out the first half on a 16-6 run over the final 5:18 to head into halftime leading 39-33. The Pirates recorded the first 10 points to go ahead 33-27 on two free throws by Michael Zangari. Cunningham ended the half with his jumper to send the Spartans into the break trailing by six.

Caleb White connected on back-to-back three's to start the second half for East Carolina to increase its lead to 45-34 less than a minute into the period. After Tyson maintained the Pirate advantage at 53-43, Upstate reeled off seven consecutive points to trim its deficit down to 53-50 at the 13:33 mark on a layup by Jacob Schulte. East Carolina came back as Barkley picked up its next seven points with his last giving the Pirates a 61-52 lead with 8:50 to go.

Tyson gave East Carolina its largest lead of the contest with 14 seconds remaining after scoring four straight points, with the last making the score 82-68. Cunningham hit a three with nine seconds left to put the final score at 82-71.

The Spartans finished the game shooting 43.6% (24-of-55) and 48.1% (13-of-27) from three. The 13 three-pointers are the most this season by Upstate and highest since Jan. 24, 2015 when it made 15 at Stetson.

The Pirates went 27-of-50 overall for a 54.0% clip and added a 78.1% (25-of-32) mark at the charity stripe.

The Spartans are off until Friday, Dec. 11 when they host North Greenville at 7 p.m.

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