By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE – After topping Tulane 61-46 on Jan. 24, the Pirates blew what might have been there best chance to win three games in a row by allowing a struggling Rice (7-14, 1-7) team to pick up its first Conference USA win of the season and a rebuilding UCF (1-1, 3-5) to notch its third. Even worse is that fact that both losses came at home.
East Carolina has had trouble playing at Minges Coliseum this season and has not won a game there since its 68-58 win over N.C. Central on Jan. 3.
The Pirates will take their struggling act on the road for their next game as they will have a rematch with Marshall tonight at 7 p.m.
The Thundering Herd (15-7, 4-4) currently sits in fifth place in C-USA, four spots behind league-leading Tulsa (18-4, 7-1). Thanks to the a fore mentions losses, the Pirates (7-15, 1-7) have last place all to themselves.
These two teams locked horns on Jan. 9 in Greenville, and the Herd trampled the Pirates 83-65.
Marshall’s victory over ECU came when the team was hot and in the midst of a six-game winning streak.
Heading into tonight’s game, Marshall has streaked the other way dropping its last five games in a row.
The Herd wrapped up what might be its toughest portion of the schedule as its last five opponents were West Virginia, UAB, Memphis, Houston and Tulsa, respectively.
 Marshall has gotten excellent play from what might be the best freshman in the conference in seven-foot center Hassan Whiteside. The rookie has had a phenomenal season and is second on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game, while leading the Herd in rebounds and blocked shots.
Whiteside is averaging a Conference USA second-best 8.9 boards a night, while leading the league with an eye-popping 5.4 blocks per game.
Whiteside teams up with crafty veteran Tyler Wilkerson (13 ppg) to form a solid front court. The Herd has also gotten strong play from sophomores Shaquille Johnson who is netting 11 points a night, and point guard Damier Pitts who is posting 10 points and four assists per game.
That quartet has helped Marshall become the second most prolific offense in C-USA averaging 78.5 points a night.
The Pirates will need Jamar Abrams to have another big night to stay in the game. Abrams was on fire his last time out scoring a career-high 28 points thanks in large part to a 5-7 shooting night from downtown.
Three-point shooting has been ECU’s Achilles Heel this year, but if Abrams can hit from outside it will loosen things up in the paint for Darrius Morrow.
East Carolina is last in the conference in scoring margin, losing by an average of 6.5 points. The next worst team is Rice with only a -3.5 scoring margin.
Another key for the Pirates will be taking care of the basketball, something they have struggled to do all season. Against UCF, East Carolina had the ball stolen from them 14 times, and turned it over a total of 20 times, or once every other minute. East Carolina is last in Conference USA with a -4.59 turnover margin despite having the league’s top assist man in Brock Young (six per game.)