Pirates vs. Buffalo: Game Day Preview & How to Watch

East Carolina Hosts Buffalo in Historic First Meeting

East Carolina University’s men’s basketball team welcomes the University of Buffalo to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Sunday for a landmark matchup – the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on ESPN+, with radio coverage available on 107.9 WNCT FM, 94.3 The Game,and the IBX app.

The contest is part of a doubleheader, with the East Carolina women’s basketball team facing UNC Asheville at 4 p.m. following the men’s game.

Pirates Look to Bounce Back

East Carolina enters the game seeking to rebound from a 67-54 loss to Appalachian State on Thursday night. Despite a game-high 26 points from Jordan Riley, the Pirates were unable to overcome a strong second-half performance by their opponents. Riley currently leads both the Pirates and The American athletic conference, averaging 20.4 points per game, alongside 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals.

The Pirates’ interior presence is anchored by Giovanni Emejuru, who is averaging a near double-double with 13.2 points and 9.3 rebounds – the second-highest rebounding total in The American. Tybo Bailey adds a consistent 8.6 points per game to the Pirates’ offensive attack.

Did you know? – East Carolina’s Jordan Riley is currently the leading scorer in The American Athletic Conference, averaging 20.4 points per game.He’s a key player for the Pirates’ offensive strategy.

Scouting the Bulls

Buffalo arrives in Greenville with an extraordinary 9-1 record, fresh off an 83-79 victory over UMBC on December 9th. In that game, four Buffalo players scored in double figures, led by a career-high 19 points from Tim Oboh.

The Bulls’ offense is spearheaded by Daniel Freitag, who averages 19.5 points per game. Supporting scorers include Ryan Sabol (15.1 ppg) and Angelo Brizzi (12.2 ppg). Notably, Buffalo boasts a perfect 5-0 record in games played away from their home court, including a 3-0 mark in true road contests.

First-Time Foes

Sunday’s game marks the first-ever encounter between East Carolina and Buffalo.The Pirates have a 1-2 record in games whe

Pro tip: – Buffalo is undefeated (5-0) in away games this season. East Carolina will need to disrupt their road momentum to secure a win at minges Coliseum.

defeated Elizabeth City State but fallen to Michigan State and St. Bonaventure earlier this season.

Looking back,East Carolina holds a 9-4 record in games played on December 14th,with their moast recent contest on this date resulting in a 70-65 loss to Florida during the 2023-24 season at a neutral site in Lakeland.

Up Next

East Carolina will conclude its five-game homestand on Wednesday, December 20th, with a 7 p.m. matchup against Presbyterian, also to be streamed on ESPN+.

Reader question: – What adjustments do you think east Carolina needs to make defensively to contain buffalo’s balanced scoring attack? Share yoru thoughts!