Remarkable 24 hours for Charlotte 49ers basketball led to biggest win of the year

Steve Lyttle
·3 min read

The Charlotte 49ers apparently learned a lot in 24 hours.

How else can you explain a team going from arguably its worst loss of the season on Friday to its biggest victory the next day — against the same opponent?

“I am so proud of the way we were able to muster the energy to come back and play — not just play, but play with that level of passion,” 49ers’ men’s basketball coach Ron Sanchez said Saturday evening, after his team handed UAB its first conference loss of the season, 70-55.

Just a day earlier, Charlotte was shellacked 61-37 by the Blazers after trailing 37-11 at halftime.

But on Saturday, Brice Williams, a sophomore guard from Hopewell High, scored a career-high 22 points for the 49ers (6-6, 2-2 C-USA), who broke the game open with a 10-0 run in the second half.

But it was Charlotte’s defense that made the difference. The 49ers limited UAB (10-2, 3-1) to just 1-of-15 shooting from 3-point range.

“I know they were disappointed in how they played, so for them to muster the energy and come back and not just play — but play with the level of passion and connectivity and selflessness — as a coach, you applaud them,” Sanchez said.

The first few minutes of Saturday’s contest looked like a continuation of Friday, as the Blazers jumped to a 5-0 lead.

But the 49ers showed they were a different team by going on an 18-0 run for an 18-5 lead with 13 minutes left on the half. The Blazers tightened the gap, but Charlotte led 31-30 at the half and was up 50-48 with about 10 minutes left in the game.

That’s when the 49ers went on a 10-0 run, as Williams scored six points. The Blazers narrowed the gap to 62-53, but Charlotte went on an 8-0 surge to put it away.

AND ONE

Williams didn’t start, but he played 31 minutes and hit 7 of 11 shots from the floor, including all three of his 3-point attempts.

“I thought he was terrific today,” Sanchez said. “The way he flashed into the middle of the zone and made some big shots. He defended really well today. He was phenomenal in our post-trap, causing a few turnovers that gave us a few extra possessions.”

PERSONAL FOUL

There were few negatives to find in Charlotte’s victory Saturday. If you want to find a problem, perhaps it was UAB’s eight offensive rebounds. Two weeks ago, the 49ers limited Western Kentucky, a strong offensive rebounding club, to an average of 3.5 offensive boards in two games.

NEXT UP

The 49ers resume play next weekend with a two-game series at Florida Atlantic. The teams play at 7 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.

MAKING SENSE OF THE NUMBERS

72: The 49ers’ field-goal percentage in the second half. Charlotte hit 13 of 18 from the floor for 72.2%.

39: Difference in scoring margin between Friday and Saturday. Charlotte lost by 24 points Friday, then came back and beat the same team by 15 the next day.

22: Charlotte’s margin over UAB in bench scoring. The 49ers’ reserves outscored the Blazers’ 33-11. Much of that was due to Williams’ 22 points, but Jared Garcia (6) and Anzac Rissetto (5) helped.

10: Season-high total of 3-point field goals made by the 49ers. Williams and Jhery Matos each made three.



Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle



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