Charlotte's Antwon Coleman (00) reacts after dunking the ball over Georgia Southern's Jimmy Tobias (11) Tuesday night at Halton Arena. (AP Photo/Chris Keane) |
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Charlotte Turns Back Georgia Southern, 77-61, In NIT First Round
March 14, 2006
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Curtis Withers had 20 points and 16 rebounds to lead Charlotte to a 77-61 win over Georgia Southern on Tuesday in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.
De'Angelo Alexander also scored 20 points for the 49ers (19-12), who overcame 22 turnovers and advanced to play at top-seed Cincinnati on Friday.
Donte Gennie had a career-high 22 points for the Eagles (20-10), making their first postseason appearance in 14 years. Senior Elton Nesbitt, the Southern Conference's player of the year, was held to 10 points on 4-of-22 shooting.
Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price was on the bench, the same day his mother was buried in Seminole, Fla. She died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. Price, who had been away from the team for a week, flew to Charlotte after the funeral, arriving about four hours before tipoff.
The Eagles, the Southern Conference's regular-season champion, had no answer inside for Withers, who got his 17th double-double of the season and the 45th of his career in his final home game. Georgia Southern tried single coverage with Louis Graham, double-teams and a zone, but Withers still had his way inside, hitting 12 of 15 free throws.
Tied at 26, Alexander's 3-pointer ignited an 11-1 run to put Charlotte ahead 37-27 with 2:29 left in the first half. The Eagles fought back, getting within 39-34 at halftime in part thanks to Gennie's second 3-pointer of the half.
Marcus Bennett and Leemire Goldwire hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 13-0 run that put Charlotte ahead 55-39 with 10:58 left.
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The 49ers later built the lead to 24 points to set up a game with former conference rival Cincinnati. The 49ers and Bearcats were in Conference USA until last year, when Cincinnati left for the Big East and Charlotte bolted to the Atlantic 10.
Charlotte held the Eagles to 31 percent shooting, forced 20 turnovers and had 11 blocks as Georgia Southern dropped to 0-6 all-time in the NCAA tournament and NIT.
NOTES (Supplied by Charlotte 49ers Sports Information):
Curtis Withers' 16 rebounds are a new 49ers NIT record, breaking the mark of 15 set by Cedric Maxwell in 1976 vs. San Francisco.
The 49ers 49 rebounds are a new 49ers NIT record, as well, breaking the mark of 45 set by the 49ers vs. San Francisco in 1976.
Chris Nance's five blocked shots are a new 49ers post-season record, breaking the mark of 4 set by Cedric Maxwell during the 1977 NCAA Tournament game vs. Michigan. The 49ers old NIT record was three by Cedric Ball vs. Connecticut in 1989.
Charlotte's 11 blocked shots are also a new 49ers post-season record, breaking the mark of eight set by the 49ers in the 1977 NCAA Tournament game vs. Michigan.
Curtis Withers established a new career-high with 12 free throws made.
By scoring 20 points, Withers closed to within seven of 7th-place all-time. Withers has scored 1730 career points. Jobey Thomas is 7th all-time at 1737.
Withers' 17th double-double of the year matches Jarvis Lang for the second-highest single-season total in school history. Cedric Maxwell holds the single-season record with 22 in 1976-77. Lang had 17 in 1993-94.
De'Angelo Alexander scored 20 points -- his 12th game of 20 or more points, this season. Withers also had 20 points -- his 10th game with 20 or more points.
Withers has now pulled 347 rebounds this year -- the 4th most in school history and just three shy of 3rd-most (Cedric Maxwell, 350, 1975-76).
