GREENVILLE, N.C. -Junior guard Kelly Smith and sophomore forward Chareya Smith scored all 13 points during a pivotal 13-2 run midway through the second half to lead East Carolina to a 72-52 victory over UNC Wilmington in collegiate women's basketball action Thursday at Minges Coliseum.

The Pirates remained undefeated on the young season as they closed out their season-opening homestand at 3-0. The Seahawks saw their season record evened at 1-1.

Sophomore guard Ashley Clarke led three ECU players in double figures with a game-high 15 points while Chareya Smith added 14 and junior guard Allison Spivey pitched in 13.

Clarke also matched her career-high with eight assists and equaled her personal best with four steals. Sophomore guard Crystal Wilson established a new career high with six assists.

Junior forward Kim Gay recorded a game-high seven rebounds and Kelly Smith added six caroms as the Pirates enjoyed a 46-30 advantage on the glass.

Senior guard Greta Luksyte and junior forward Brittany Blackwell scored 11 points apiece to lead UNCW while redshirt freshman Jessica Cohen added six points and junior forward Martha White pitched in five. Blackwell also registered team-highs of seven rebounds, four assists and three steals while junior forward Kelsy Reitz grabbed a career-high five rebounds.

ECU shook off a cold first-half shooting performance that saw it make just nine of its 28 tries (.321) from the floor in the opening stanza as it posted a sizzling 65.6 (31-of-32) conversion rate from the field in the second half to pull away from UNCW. The Seahawks were an improved 11-for-25 (.440) from the floor in the second half, but couldn't overcome a 7-for-30 (.233) shooting performance in the opening 20 minutes.

Leading 45-39 midway through the second half, a three-pointer from the right corner by Kelly Smith ignited the decisive run that lasted just 2:33 and gave the Pirates a 58-41 cushion with 7:26 remaining. Chareya Smith recorded eight of the 13 points on a quartet of layups while Kelly notched her five on the run-starting three and a jumper in the paint.

The Seahawks would pull within 12 moments after the ECU spurt as a jumper by junior forward Martha White and a long three-pointer from sophomore guard Julia Finlay cut the UNCW deficit to 58-46. That would be as close as the Seahawks would get, as the Pirates closed out the contest on a 14-6 run to determine the 20-point margin of victory.

In the first half, UNCW grabbed an early 8-3 lead and held a 14-8 advantage at the 7:$1 mark before the Pirates used a 7-2 spurt to take a 21-16 lead with just over two minutes remaining.

The Pirates would carry a 25-20 lead into the locker room before scoring 11 of the first 17 points in the second half to take their first double-digit lead of the game, 36-26. The two teams would trade baskets over the next five minutes until Kelly Smith hit the three-pointer that ignited the decisive run.

Both teams return to action Sunday in road contests. UNCW takes on Hampton at 4 p.m. while ECU is at American in a 2 p.m. start.

NOTES: ECU held a 23-2 advantage in fastbreak points and enjoyed a 46-12 edge in points in the paint ... The Pirates reserves also out-scored the Seahawks bench by a 32-20 margin ... The two teams shot a combined 10-for-24 (.416) from the free-throw line in the first half ... The Pirates finished the contest with a .412 (7-for-17) conversion rate from the free-throw line ... ECU held a 30-20 advantage on the glass in the opening 20 minutes ... The Seahawks .327 field goal percentage was their lowest since a 14-for-50 (.280) performance at Old Dominion last February ... The 52 points were also the fewest since a 50-point effort against Drexel last February ... All 11 players dressed for the Seahawks saw playing time in the contest and 10 of those players scored at least two points... UNCW freshman guard Jessica Freeman was injured late in the first half and did not return.