East Carolina Beats Rice 85-75 in Basketball Matchup

Jordan Riley and Demitri Gardner led the Pirates to victory over the Owls.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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East Carolina University's men's basketball team defeated Rice University 85-75 in a game played on Saturday in Houston, Texas. Jordan Riley scored 22 points and Demitri Gardner added 21 points to lead the Pirates to the victory.

Why it matters

This was an important conference matchup between two teams competing in the same league. The win helps East Carolina improve their standing in the conference standings and keeps them in contention for a potential postseason tournament berth.

The details

East Carolina was led by strong offensive performances from Jordan Riley, who scored 22 points, and Demitri Gardner, who added 21 points. The Pirates were able to pull away in the second half to secure the 85-75 victory over Rice.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 14, 2026.

The players

Jordan Riley

A player for the East Carolina University men's basketball team.

Demitri Gardner

A player for the East Carolina University men's basketball team.

Rice University

The opposing team that played against East Carolina University.

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The takeaway

This victory keeps East Carolina in contention for a potential postseason tournament berth and demonstrates the team's ability to win tough road games against conference opponents.