CHAMP CENTRAL
PHOTO GALLERY
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BOX SCORE
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – East Carolina guard Jada Payne scored a game-high 26 points, including the 2,000th of her career, to help the No. 8-seeded Pirates fend off a late push from No. 9-seeded Cincinnati in a 70-61 win in the opening round of the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship.
The Pirates (13-18) advance to play top-seeded UConn in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN3).
Payne scored eight points in the final 2:28 to help the Pirates pull away from what had been a three-point game. The Bearcats had cut a 19-point second-quarter deficit to close within 60-57 with 4:54 in the fourth quarter.
East Carolina held a 14-point halftime leader after Khadidja Toure hit a 3-pointer to give the Pirates a 35-21 cushion.
Payne reached the 2,000-career-point milestone with a 3-pointer from the right corner in the third quarter. She became the third player from The American reach this feat in the 2015-16 season, joining UConn forward Breanna Stewart and USF guard Courtney Williams.
Guard Jasmine Whitfield scored 19 points for Cincinnati to lead three Bearcat players in double figures. Cincinnati saw its season end with an 8-22 record.