Junior guard Caleb White scored 20 points to lead East Carolina past Grambling 61-53 Friday night in Greenville, N.C.

The Pirates shot just 31.1 percent from the field but still got the job done.

East Carolina coach Jeff Lebo notched his 299th career victory as a Division I head coach as the Pirates won their 15th consecutive season opener.

White made 6 of 12 shots from the field. By comparison, the rest of the team went 8-for-33 from the floor. White needs just 154 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone. White is looking to become just the third ECU player since 1972 to reach 1,000 points prior to the end of his junior season.

Swingman Michael Bethea led all scorers with 18 points for Grambling (0-1) in his debut after transferring from junior college. Guards Nigel Riberio and Remond Brown added 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the Tigers, who hung tough against the Pirates for the majority of the game.

White was the only Pirate to score in double figures, although freshman Tejada Lance and Kentrell Barkley chipped in with eight apiece.