GAME NOTES: Charlotte Hosts #12/#15 Cincinnati (ESPN)
Feb. 27, 2004
Halton Arena -
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Charlotte Hosts Cincinnati (Sat., Feb. 28 - 5:00 p.m.) TV: ESPN (Bob Carpenter; Jimmy Dykes); Radio: WFNZ, SportsRadio 610am (Matt Swierad, Gary Williams, Henry Williams) The Charlotte 49ers (18-6; 10-3; #30 RPI (Feb. 26) host #12/#15 Cincinnati (19-5; 10-3; #28 RPI), Saturday. The two teams are tied for second-place in C-USA, one-game back of league leader Memphis (11-2). Charlotte is 3-0 in games vs. ranked teams, this season and 3-1 in games vs. teams currently ranked in the Top 25 (W: Louisville, Cincinnati, Southern Illinois; L: Memphis). Charlotte defeated #8/#7 Cincinnati, 86-83, at the Shoemaker Center in Cincinnati earlier this year. Charlotte, which is off to the school's best start since 1994-95 (19-6), just completed a stretch in which they played five of seven games on the road. The 49ers were 6-1 during the stretch and have now set a school record for most wins (9) in true road games (neutral sites not included).
Charlotte v. Cincinnati:
Charlotte is 7-12 all-time in series play with Cincinnati, including a 4-3 record vs. the Bearcats at Halton Arena. The 49ers picked up their first-ever win over Cincinnati at the Shoemaker Center, this year, 86-83.
Cincinnati has been ranked in 15 of the teams' 19 matchups, with Charlotte owning a 4-11 record in those games. Charlotte is 2-3 vs. Cincinnati when the Bearcats came in ranked to Halton Arena.
Charlotte has beaten Cincinnati twice in C-USA tournament action: in the 1999 C-USA semifinals on its way to the tournament title and the 2001 C-USA Championship for the tournament title. Cincinnati has beaten Charlotte twice, as well, in C-USA tournament action winning both times that they met in the tournament in Cincinnati.
A Balanced Diet: Known for a dangerous perimeter game, Charlotte has been successful, this year, thanks to a balanced attack that conjures memories of NCAA teams past. Charlotte has four players averaging in double figures. The last two times that happened: 1988 (NCAA); 2002 (NCAA). In five of the last seven games, Charlotte has had at least four players score in double figures and of the 49ers 79 double-figure outings, 29 (or 37%) have been from the frontcourt (Withers 21; Clemmons 4; Iti 3; Pigford); 32 (or 41%) have been from the backcourt (Plavich 14; Brown 12; Baldwin 6) and 18 (23%) have been from the wings (Basden 14; Johnson 4). See chart (page 2) for recent 49er NCAA teams and the corresponding inside-out stars.
Quick Synopsis: At 10-3 in league play, Charlotte is tied with Cincinnati for second, 1.0 games back of Memphis (11-2). The 49ers are #30 in the Feb. 26 RPI and own a school record three Top 10 victories and four wins over RPI Top 30. Despite playing more than half of its games on the road, the 49ers are 18-6, overall; 3-0 vs. Top 10 teams; 2-0 vs. 2003 NCAA Final Four participants; 3-1 vs. teams currently in the Top 25 and have broken the school record for most true road wins (9).
The 49ers sport Top 10 road wins at #7/#7 Syracuse and at #8/#7 Cincinnati and a home win over #9/#9 Louisville. They also sport a win at current Top 25 Southern Illinois.
Key wins include the road wins at defending national champ Syracuse (1st time in NCAA history that a defending champ lost its home opener); at Southern Illinois (snapped the Salukis 31-game home win streak), at DePaul (to open C-USA play), at Top 10 Cincinnati (Bearcats were 62-5 in C-USA home games) and vs. #9/#9 Louisville, Marquette and Saint Louis at home. All six losses are to Top 100 RPI teams with three coming to Top 35 teams (@ Alabama (24); @ Memphis (27) and UAB (30).
Charlotte has been led by C-USA Player of the Year candidate Curtis Withers (16.5 ppg; 9.3 rpg), who leads C-USA with 13 double-doubles. Three other 49ers average in double-figures: Demon Brown (12.3 ppg; 4.2 apg), Brendan Plavich (12.3 ppg; 76 3FGM), Eddie Basden (10.6; 56 steals). All four have had a 25+ scoring night and Withers (twice), Brown and Plavich have each been named C-USA Player of the Week.
C-USA Player of the Year Candidate: Curtis Withers leads C-USA in double-doubles (13), is sixth in scoring, second in rebounding and first in offensive rebounding. Withers is averaging 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in C-USA play and has posted six double-doubles in league play. Last year, the 49ers had three as a team (all by Withers). Withers has scored in double figures and pulled at least 7 boards in all but two games. He's also shooting .502 from the floor, best in C-USA among players with 10 attempts per game.
"Curtis Withers is the best power forward in our league"
-- UC head coach Bob Huggins
"Here's another guy I'm right about: Curtis Withers, a sophomore forward from Charlotte. He might end up being Conference USA's Player of the Year."
- Seth Davis, CNN/SI
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