| East Carolina Game 1: Grambling State | |
| Date | Friday, Nov. 13 |
| Time | 8 p.m. EST |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. (Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum) |
| Live Game Coverage |  Radio: WNCT 107.9FM | ECU Pirates On Demand (Listen Live) TuneIn Radio Online (within the app search ECU or Pirate IMG Sports Network) Online: ESPN3 |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  |
GREENVILLE, North Carolina -- The East Carolina men's basketball team opens up its 2015-16 slate on Friday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m., inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum against Grambling State. The game is part of a doubleheader with ECU volleyball team which host Memphis at 5:30 p.m. Anyone purchasing a ticket to the basketball game will receive free admission to the volleyball match. Friday's game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 and the the Pirate-IMG Radio Network.
East Carolina has won its season opener each of the last 14 years and has won its home opener each of the past 12 seasons. This will be the 11th consecutive season in which the Pirates have opened at home, but their first season lid-lifter against a Division I opponent since 2006.
The Pirates and Tigers will be the first meeting on the hardwood since 1982, which resulted in a 64-61 Pirate victory at the Bayou Classic in Lafayette, La.
NOTABLE POINTS
•The Pirates enter Friday's night game having won five consecutive non-conference home games. ECU was 6-1 against teams outside The American here a year ago. During the previous five seasons, ECU has compiled a 34-7 record in non-conference home games.
•Grambling is one of three historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on the Pirates' schedule this season. ECU will also host North Carolina A&T on Dec. 13 and South Carolina State on Dec. 22. It has won 11 in a row over HBCUs with a 9-0 record under coach Jeff Lebo.
•Juniors Caleb White and Michel Nzege are each expected to make their second-straight opening night starts. Nzege had 18 points and 12 rebounds in the 2014-15 season opener against N.C. Wesleyan, while White netted 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Last season's other opening night starters were Marshall Guilmette (injured),Terry Whisnant (professional) and Antonio Robinson (graduated).
•East Carolina has scored 97 or more points in three of its past four home openers.
•An East Carolina victory will be the 299th win of coach Jeff Lebo's career.
ABOUT GRAMBLING STATE •The Tigers are entering their second season under head coach Shawn E. Walker, a native of Roper, N.C. and two-time all-conference guard at Elizabeth City State University.
•Grambling finished the 2014-15 campaign with an overall record of 2-27 and 0-18 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in their conference in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
•Grambling has lost 28 consecutive games against Division I opponents with its last victory coming against Jackson State in the first round of the 2014 SWAC Tournament.
•Grambling returns five letterwinners from last year's squad and welcomes nine newcomers.
•Among those returning are the team's second leading scorer from a season ago, senior Mark Gray (10.5 ppg). Gray was also the Tigers' leading rebounder last season (5.9 rpg) and top free throw shooter (.755). He led the team with 105 made foul shots and was second on the unit with 17 made 3s.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
•The Pirates' roster features 15 players (12 scholarship) representing seven states with as well as Australia and Switzerland.
•Eight players are listed a 6-foot-7 or taller and five stand 6-foot-3 or shorter.
•Six players hail from the state of North Carolina (three walk-ons) and two from Florida with no other state represented by more than one player (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia).
•Eight players are listed a 6-foot-7 or taller and five stand 6-foot-3 or shorter.
•Six players hail from the state of North Carolina (three walk-ons) and two from Florida with no other state represented by more than one player (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia).
THE SCHEDULE
• East Carolina's 2015-16 men's basketball schedule includes 13 games against teams that participated in postseason play last season with 10 games versus teams that competed in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
• The Pirates will play a pair of road games against teams ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25: No. 14 California (Nov. 20) and No. 20 UConn (Feb. 7). ECU also has three road games at team receiving votes in the AP preseason poll: SMU, Cincinnati and San Diego State.
• East Carolina's non-conference includes three games against teams from the Colonial Athletic Association (College of Charleston, UNCW, James Madison), two from Conference USA (Charlotte, Florida Atlantic) and two from the MEAC (N.C. A&T, South Carolina State).
• This year's slate features three first-time opponents: California, San Diego State and South Carolina State. The Pirates will also be playing on the west coast and in Las Vegas for the first time.
• East Carolina's 2015-16 men's basketball schedule includes 13 games against teams that participated in postseason play last season with 10 games versus teams that competed in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
• The Pirates will play a pair of road games against teams ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25: No. 14 California (Nov. 20) and No. 20 UConn (Feb. 7). ECU also has three road games at team receiving votes in the AP preseason poll: SMU, Cincinnati and San Diego State.
• East Carolina's non-conference includes three games against teams from the Colonial Athletic Association (College of Charleston, UNCW, James Madison), two from Conference USA (Charlotte, Florida Atlantic) and two from the MEAC (N.C. A&T, South Carolina State).
• This year's slate features three first-time opponents: California, San Diego State and South Carolina State. The Pirates will also be playing on the west coast and in Las Vegas for the first time.
COURTESY EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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