East Carolina jumped on top early and never looked back en route to a 74-48 victory over cold-shooting Florida Atlantic in Greenville, N.C., on Tuesday.

The Pirates (4-3) led 18-3 midway through the first half, as Florida Atlantic missed 11 of its first 12 shots. It took 10:49 for the Owls to make their second shot from the floor, and more than 18 minutes for them to reach double digits on the scoreboard. It was 32-14 Pirates at halftime, with the Owls (1-5) finishing the half 5-for-25 from the field and 2-for-7 from the free-throw line.

The second half was more of the same. East Carolina led by as many as 31 points and was never seriously threatened.

Guard B.J. Tyson made seven of his nine shots and led the Pirates with 15 points. Forward Gabe Bryant added a dozen off the bench for East Carolina, which saw 11 different players make at least one basket.

Guard Solomon Poole led Florida Atlantic with 11 points. It was a nightmare of an offensive game for the Owls, who shot 35.8 percent from the field, 21.7 percent from 3-point range and 41.7 percent from the foul line.

The Pirates shot 54.2 percent overall, 38.5 percent from long range and 45.5 percent on free throws.