Bobby Lutz became the 49ers all-time winningest coach with Saturday night's win vs. Saint Louis. |
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Lutz Becomes Niners All-Time Winningest Coach
Feb. 23, 2008
Halton Arena - Charlotte 49ers 10th-year coach Bobby Lutz surpassed Jeff Mullins as the program's all-time winningest coach as Charlotte downed Saint Louis, 81-64, in Atlantic 10 action, Saturday night.
Charlotte (15-11; A-10: 6-6) used a balanced scoring attack, an efficient offense and a renewed effort on the boards in posting their largest margin of victory in league play, this year.
Junior Lamont Mack led the 49ers in scoring for the third straight game with 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 5-of-5 free throws. Junior Charlie Coley, freshman An'Juan Wilderness and sophomore Michael Gerrity all added 14 points and senior scoring leader Leemire Goldwire pitched in with 11 as five 49ers scored in double figures for the first time this season.
Charlotte shot 50% from the field, the second straight game of 50% shooting or better, outrebounded SLU, 33-25, and turned on the defense in the second half.
After trading baskets for much of the first half (both teams shot identical 12-of-23 from the field, .522), Charlotte held the Billikens to .393 shooting (11-of-28) in the second half. That allowed the 49ers to weather the Billikens run from a nine-point deficit with 12:41 to play to within two, 57-55 with 9:59 left.
Charlotte scored the next 11 points to regain a double digit lead, 68-55, with 6:35 to go. SLU (15-12; A-10: 6-7) would not get within single-digits, again.
Fittingly, Goldwire, the 49ers lone four-year letterwinner on the squad, scored on a short jumper with :46 seconds left for the final points in Lutz's historic win.
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Lutz now owns a 183-123 all-time record in 10 years with the 49ers. Jeff Mullins held the previous record for wins by a 49ers head coach with a 182-142 record in 11 years atop the 49ers program.
NOTES:
Goldwire hit one three-pointer for his 97th this season -- tying Brendan Plavich for 5th all-time in single-season threes.
Goldwire scored 11 points to move within one point of Robert Earl Blue for 12th-place all-time in career points. Goldwire has scored 1535 career points while Blue netted 1536.
Gerrity's 14 points are a new high for the guard as a 49er.
The 17-point victory is the largest margin of victory for the 49ers in A-10 play and the second largest margin of victory this season. The 49ers beat Gardner-Webb by 32, 83-51.
The victory is the 49ers 10th this season in Halton Arena. In the Arena's 12 seasons, Charlotte has now won at least 10 games, there, 10 times.
