Pirates look to snap two-game skid at George Washington

East Carolina returns the Colonials' trip to Greenville last season

Following a heartbreaking 59-58 last second loss at Coastal Carolina over the weekend, Jeff Lebo's shorthanded squad will look to bounce back by capturing a road win over the George Washington Colonials.

The Pirates (7-4), who have lost two straight, played the Chanticleers without the services of senior starters Brock Young and Jamar Abrams. Abrams, who averages 11.1 points and is the team's top three-point shooter, will be out an extended period of time after suffering an injury in practice at the end of last week. Fellow senior Jontae Sherrod, the team's leading scorer at 12.9 per game, stepped up with 19 points in their absence. Corvonn Gaines, who plays the point when Young is unable to do, also rose to the occasion by tallying a career-best 12 points against Coastal Carolina.

ECU's post production is led by Darrius Morrow, who puts up 10.4 points and pulls down a team-high 5.4 rebounds.

GWU enters the match-up looking to even its record, as the Colonials come in with a 4-5 mark. They are riding a two-game win streak after victories over Towson and Pac-10 foe Oregon State.

Junior point guard Tony Taylor, who scored 20 points against the Pirates in his team's 84-80 overtime win in Greenville last season, scores 12.8 points to lead GWU. Taylor also dishes out a team-high 5.7 assists per contest and is tops on the team with 12 steals.

With Abrams out, freshman Nemanja Mikic could be a tough match-up for East Carolina. Mikic, who stands 6-8, is the team's top three-point threat and has knocked down 27-of-57 from deep.

The Pirates, however, are much improved on the defensive end. They are allowing just 64.3 points per game and are limiting opponents to 40 percent from the floor. The opposition is shooting just 26.8 from three-point range.

Morrow, Wynn, and Morales will need to step up as the Colonials possess a very strong frontcourt. Joseph Katuka, who stands 6'11" and 237 pounds, yields 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while 6'6" Dwayne Smith posts 8.1 points and grabs 4.9 boards.

Prediction
The Pirates proved they could be competitive against a quality opponent on the road even when they're shorthanded by nearly capturing a victory at Coastal Carolina. With possibly just nine contributors at its disposal depending on Brock's status, East Carolina must stay out of foul trouble and keep playing well on the defensive end. This may very well be another see-saw affair that comes down to which team makes the plays down the stretch. GWU has played in front of sparse crowds of around 1,000 when at home this year and with this game coming three days before Christmas, the teams will likely have to generate their own energy in this one.