Curtis Withers dunks as DePaul's Cliff Clinkscales looks on during the first half at Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday Feb. 16, 2005. |
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No. 23 49ers Hold Off DePaul, 66-62
Feb. 16, 2005
By TIM WHITMIRE
Associated Press Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Eddie Basden scored 15 points and tipped a key missed free throw as No. 23 Charlotte held off a 3-point barrage by DePaul's Drake Diener for a 66-62 victory on Wednesday night.
Basden and Curtis Withers combined for 33 points to lead the 49ers, playing their first game as a ranked team in six years.
With 35 seconds left and Charlotte leading 63-62, 49ers guard Mitchell Baldwin missed the second of two free throws. But Basden tipped the ball to Brendan Plavich, who was fouled and made one of two free throws.
Charlotte (18-4, 9-2 Conference USA) secured the win after Diener missed a 3 off the front rim with 7.2 seconds left and Plavich made two free throws for the final margin.
Withers led the 49ers with 18 points, while Basden had 15 and 10 rebounds.
Diener was 7-of-13 from 3-point range for DePaul (16-6, 8-3) and finished with 25 points. His 3 from the left baseline tied the game at 62 with 56 seconds left.
Five of Diener's 3s came in the second half - including two from 5 feet beyond the arc - as his perimeter shooting helped the Blue Demons fight back from a 10-point deficit over the final 10 minutes.
Basden was everywhere, forcing turnovers, fighting through screens, grabbing rebounds, driving the lane, shooting from the perimeter and slamming the ball home to finish fast breaks.
Backed by a raucous Halton Arena crowd, Charlotte had 18 offensive rebounds, four each from Withers and E.J. Drayton, to just 11 for DePaul.
The 49ers used a big run at the end of the first half to take control of the game after a sloppy opening few minutes. They trailed 21-15 after a 3-pointer by DePaul's Quemont Greer with 6:33 remaining in the first half.
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But Charlotte closed the half by outscoring DePaul 20-8, taking a 35-29 lead.
After DePaul closed within 35-33, Charlotte pulled away, taking its 10-point lead on a jumper by Withers with 10:05 remaining.
