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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Japhet McNeil hit four free throws in the final 35 seconds and East Carolina survived a scare at the buzzer to upset UAB 67-64 on Wednesday.
McNeil's final two free throws gave East Carolina a 67-64 lead with 4.3 seconds left. UAB moved the ball down floor quickly and Richard Jones got off a 3-point shot at the buzzer that fell well short.
But McNeil was whistled for a foul on the shot, giving Jones three free throws with no time left on the clock. The first free throw bounced off the front of the rim, ending the game.
Freshman guard Tom Hammonds scored 16 points to lead East Carolina (8-16, 3-9 Conference USA). Corey Rouse added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Pirates.
Marques Lewis scored 17 points for UAB (16-8, 6-5). Donell Taylor added 12 points and Caldwell "Squeaky" Johnson had 10 for the Blazers, who lost their third game in a row.
The victory was East Carolina's first on the road this season. For much of the night, it looked like the Pirates would come up short again.
UAB led by as many as 10 points in the first half and went into intermission with a 35-23 lead.
The Blazers built another 10-point lead early in the second half. But East Carolina battled back to take a 59-57 lead when Moussa Badiane scored six points in a row.
UAB tied it at 59-59, but Rouse worked inside for a layup to give East Carolina a 61-59 lead with just under three minutes left. The Pirates stayed in front the rest of the way, thanks to McNeil's clutch free throw shooting.
