Preview: Tulsa at East Carolina Women’s Basketball

GREENVILLE, N.C. (Interstat) — Two American Athletic Conference teams riding winning streaks will meet Tuesday when the Tulsa Golden Hurricane visit the East Carolina Pirates at Williams Arena.

Tulsa (11-4) has won four straight, including a 94-82 victory over Temple last Friday. East Carolina (11-6) has won two consecutive games, most recently an 83-56 road rout of Wichita State on Saturday.

The matchup features two of the league’s top guards in Tulsa’s Mady Cartwright and East Carolina’s Kennedy Fauntleroy.

Cartwright, a dynamic scorer, is averaging 21.2 points over her last five games. She poured in a season-high 31 points in 35 minutes against Temple. For the season, she leads the Golden Hurricane in scoring.

Fauntleroy orchestrates the Pirates’ offense, coming off a 21-point, 8-assist performance against Wichita State. Over her last four contests, she is averaging 15.3 points and 6.0 assists per game.

Both teams have shown potent offenses during their current streaks. Tulsa has averaged 77 points during its four-game run, while East Carolina has scored at least 74 points in three of its last four wins.

Defensively, the Pirates will aim to contain a Tulsa attack that also features Hannah Riddick, who scored 22 points against Temple. The Golden Hurricane must contend with an East Carolina squad that forced 24 turnovers in its win over Wichita State.

Tulsa holds a slight edge in the overall season record, but East Carolina boasts a 7-1 mark at home this season. The Pirates’ only home loss came against Memphis on Jan. 3, a game they later avenged on the road.

This contest opens a critical stretch for both teams in the AAC standings. Following Tuesday’s game, East Carolina hosts Temple on Saturday. Tulsa travels to face Charlotte next.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Tuesday at Williams Arena.