San Antonio, TX—-The Pirates erased an 11-point deficit at the free-throw line in the closing seconds to snap a two-game skid, edging UTSA 82-81 on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
Short-handed and down to just six available players, the Roadrunners (5-23, 1-15 American) pushed East Carolina Pirates men’s basketball (10-18, 5-10 American) to the brink. Despite their limited rotation, UTSA never appeared to tire, matching ECU possession for possession in a game that featured seven ties over the final 15 minutes.
With the score tied 23-23 in the first half, sophomore guard Baboucarr Njie found graduate center Daniel Akitoby isolated in the right corner. Akitoby calmly set his feet and buried a three-pointer, sparking a momentum swing. The Virginia native, who finished with a season-high 17 points along with nine rebounds and two blocks, continued to dominate the stretch.
After drawing his defender out of the paint, Akitoby slipped a pass to Jamir Simpson for a thunderous one-handed dunk over a 6-foot-10 defender. The mostly youthful crowd erupted as UTSA turned the game into an impromptu dunk showcase. Akitoby added three more rim-rattling slams on consecutive possessions, capping a four-dunk surge that gave the Roadrunners a 34-26 lead with 5:12 remaining in the half.
UTSA carried that energy into the second half. Less than 30 seconds after the break, Brent Moss raced ahead for a fast-break dunk that extended the lead to 45-34 — the largest of the night for the Roadrunners — though he landed awkwardly on his ankle on the play.
With Moss briefly sidelined, ECU seized its opportunity. Demitri Gardner and Corey Caulker combined for nine of the Pirates’ 11 points during an 11-0 run that erased the deficit and tied the game at 45-45.
From there, neither team could gain separation.
Trailing 78-77 with just over a minute to play, Njie attacked the basket, absorbed contact and finished high off the glass to give UTSA a 79-78 advantage with 1:07 remaining. Moments later, Simpson knocked down two free throws after being intentionally fouled, stretching the lead to 81-78 with seven seconds left. Simpson finished with a team-high 22 points and a career-best 10 assists, playing all 40 minutes.
But the Pirates had one final push.
After Caulker split a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining, UTSA deflected the rebound toward the right wing. Gardner secured the loose ball just beyond the three-point line and, as contact prevented him from landing cleanly, instinctively launched a shot toward the basket. The whistle blew — three free throws.
UTSA head coach Austin Claunch believed his team had the rebound secured.
“We had guys that had rebounds in there. You’ve got to find a way to come up with that,” Claunch said. “…It looked like the ball was up [in the air]. It was perfect. You’ve got to squeeze it, chin in, go make your free throws and win the game.”
Instead, Gardner calmly drained all three attempts, flipping the score to 82-81 and sealing the Pirates’ comeback. He finished with 13 points.
Jordan Riley led ECU with 27 points and tied his career high with six steals, while Giovanni Emejuru added 11 points and six rebounds.
For UTSA, freshman Dorian Hayes nearly matched his career high with 18 points and added six rebounds while also playing the full 40 minutes.
“Really tough loss. Really proud of the six guys that played,” Claunch said. “Obviously we’re really banged up right now, and those six really battled and gave us a chance to win. Gotta make one more play at the end of the game to win a conference game. That’s what it comes down to. I’m really proud of the way they fought… Next time they’re in that position, they’ll be better equipped to handle it.”
The Pirates will host Memphis on Sunday, while UTSA returns home to face Wichita State as both teams close out the regular season.
