GREENVILLE, N.C. - The University of Massachusetts finally won a close game, but not the way it wanted to.

The Minutemen's dominant first half was almost wiped out by a flat start to the second half, but they held on to beat East Carolina 63-58 Tuesday at Williams Arena.

All of UMass' previous six wins have been by at least 14 points. The Minutemen's only previous tight game had been Saturday's loss to Miami.

Tuesday started like another blowout before ECU stormed back. With UMass (7-3) up 40-21 at halftime, ECU (4-4) opened the second half on a 13-2 run that brought the crowd of 4,419 back into the game. The once confident Minutemen seemed to get tentative against the onrushing Pirates.

"We're more frustrated with ourselves because of the way we played down the stretch," sophomore point guard Chaz Williams said. "We were a little complacent with the results from the first half and we didn't come out with the same aggression."

With 2 minutes, 11 seconds left in the game and UMass leading 57-50, Terrell Vinson took a charge to give UMass possession, but Williams quickly turned the ball over and Miguel Paul buried a 3-pointer to make it 57-53 with 1:49 left.

The Minutemen hurried the ball ahead to Cady Lalanne, who missed his first shot, but grabbed the rebound and was fouled on his second attempt. The freshman made both free throws to make it 59-53.

Paul missed two free throws on the other end, but ECU got the rebound. Paul then missed a 3-pointer, but ECU got the rebound again and Paris Campbell hit a 3-pointer to make it 59-56.

UMass tried to use the clock, but it took too long and Williams' attempt as the shot clock expired missed the rim. ECU attacked and Paul beat the defense for an easy layup that made it 59-58 with 40.7 seconds left.

Raphiael Putney then went to the line and made the first of two free throws. Sean Carter grabbed the rebound on the missed second and was fouled. Carter, who missed two late free throws at Miami Saturday, made one of two to make it 61-58 with 34.3 seconds left.

"I felt confident at Miami too," Carter said. "I knew I had to put them in this time. There was no time for mishap."

Paul lost the handle at the other end and gave the Minutemen the ball back. Putney made one of two free throws with 20.4 seconds left to seal the win.

Williams made some big shots for the Minutemen, but he struggled handling the ball with 10 turnovers to go with his 10 points and four assists.

"Coach is going to get at me," Williams said. "I'm ready to embrace it."

UMass had 24 turnovers in the game. Freddie Riley led the Minutemen with 14 points, but they all came in the first half. Lalanne had six points, six rebounds and four blocks and slowed big man Darrius Morrow (13 points) in the second half.

"That's the second time he's done that recently," Kellogg said of Lalanne, who also shut down Towson's Robert Nwankwo. "He's a bigger body that can use his weight in there. He did a nice job of corralling Morrow."

Sophomores Jesse Morgan and Putney replaced Riley and Javorn Farrell in the UMass starting lineup. All four players seemed to thrive in their new spots early.

Led by Riley's torrid 3-point shooting, UMass was dominant in the first half. Riley hit four of five from deep en route to 14 points before intermission. All nine players who checked in scored as the Minutemen's pace seemed to rattle the Pirates, who hurried shots throughout the half.

Kellogg saw the comeback coming.

"I've coached here (with Memphis and George Mason) and we've never really blown anybody away. I said at halftime this is going to be a nail-biter." Kellogg said. "I feel good that we won the game."

The Minutemen will head back to Massachusetts to play Siena at 7 p.m. Friday at the MassMutual Center in the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.