GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The East Carolina women's basketball team dropped its first Conference USA game of the season at home Sunday afternoon inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum to Tulane 66-64.

Junior Ebonee Downey went to the free throw line with less than a second remaining in the contest shooting three and looking to force the game into overtime. Downey hit the first shot and came up short on the remaining two halting the Pirates (7-13, 3-4) home winning streak at four games.

After a back-and-forth first half, which saw ECU take a 30-27 lead into the half, Tulane (10-11, 2-6) took its biggest lead of the game 49-41 after D'Aundra Henry sank two free throws with 11:49 left in the contest. The Pirates crept back in going on a 13-5 run themselves to tie the game at 54-54 on a five-foot jumper by Shanita Sutton.

Four points by Jennifer Jackson and a Viola Cooper three gave ECU a 61-60 advantage with just over two minutes left. Following a Tulane time out, Henry connected on two free throws and drained a six-foot jumper setting up a thrilling finish with 13.6 ticks on the clock. Unable to locate Jackson or Cooper open on the perimeter, Samantha Pankey found Downey opened for a three-point attempt. Henry's foul on Downey marked the first time all afternoon that the Pirates went to the line.

Jackson led the Pirates with 17 points hitting 7-of-17 from the floor, including 3-of-7 from behind the arc. Cooper and Pankey each tied career-highs in assists with seven, while Sutton grabbed a game-best seven rebounds.

Henry paved the way for Tulane with a game-high 20 points, while Lakethia Hampton and Courtney Simmons also scored in double-figures with 15 and 10 respectively.

The Pirates will hit the road this weekend when they travel to Tampa, Fla. to take on USF Saturday, Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. before closing the road trip at UAB on Monday night.

East Carolina vs. Tulane
Jan. 30, 2005
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