GREENVILLE, N.C. -- After opening the season with two consecutive wins at home, the East Carolina women's basketball team has now dropped its last two home games after falling to in-state foe Wake Forest 70-47 Sunday afternoon at Minges Coliseum.

The Pirates (2-6), who trailed by seven at intermission 33-26, came out on fire as they opened the second half on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 33 on a Shanita Sutton lay-up with 17:22 remaining. But a 26-2 run behind the Demon Deacons' defense, which forced 10 second half turnovers, put Wake up by 24, 35-59, at the 9:11 mark.

Wake Forest (7-0) would increase its lead to 28 behind a pair of Jennifer Johnson free throws, seemingly putting the game out of reach. Junior Liz Strunk led four Deacs in double-figures netting 22 points and grabbing eight boards.

Senior guard Jennifer Jackson kept the Pirates in the game in first half as she connected on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, recording two of her 17 first half points on a lay-up with one minute remaining in the half. Jackson would finish the game as the Pirates top scorer with 21 points coming off the bench. Sutton was the only other Pirate to score in double-figures as she finished with 13 points.

"We didn't play particularly well today," said Head Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. "We made a nice little run to close the half and carried that over to tie the game. But their defensive press was too much for us and we really never recovered."

The Pirates will hit the road this weekend as they take on in-state rival UNC Wilmington on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m., before closing out the 2004 home schedule against West Virginia on Dec. 21.

East Carolina vs. Wake Forest
Dec. 12, 2004
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