GAME NOTES: Charlotte at Houston
March 3, 2004
Houston, Texas -
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Charlotte Travels to Houston (Wed., Mar. 3 - 8:30 p.m.) Radio: WFNZ, SportsRadio 610am (Matt Swierad) The Charlotte 49ers (18-7; 10-4; #29 RPI (Mar. 1) travel to Houston, Wednesday, for their 14th and final road game of the year. Charlotte is coming off of a 75-67 home loss to #12/#15 Cincinnati. The 49ers have won 7 of their last 9, including their last two road games. Charlotte has won a school-record nine "true" road games, this year (neutral sites not included). The 49ers are tied with UAB and DePaul (10-4) for third place in C-USA, one-game back of league leaders Memphis and Cincinnati (11-3). Charlotte is 3-1 in games vs. ranked teams, this season and 3-2 in games vs. teams currently ranked in the Top 25 (W: Louisville, Cincinnati, Southern Illinois; L: Memphis; Cincinnati).
Charlotte v. Houston: Charlotte is 7-1 all-time in series play with Houston, including a 2-1 record in Houston. The 49ers lost their last game at Houston, 73-72. The last two games in Houston were decided by a total of three points. Lutz owns a 5-1 record vs. Houston. Last year, Charlotte won, 59-55, in overtime at Halton Arena.
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 eight games, Charlotte has had at least four players score in double figures and of the 49ers 82 double-figure outings, 30 (or 37%) have been from the frontcourt (Withers 22; Clemmons 4; Iti 3; Pigford); 33 (or 40%) have been from the backcourt (Plavich 15; Brown 12; Baldwin 6) and 19 (23%) have been from the wings (Basden 15; Johnson 4). See chart (page 2) for recent 49er NCAA teams and the corresponding inside-out stars.
Quick Synopsis: At 10-4 in league play, Charlotte is tied with UAB and DePaul for third, 1.0 games back of co-leaders Memphis and Cincinnati (11-3). The 49ers are #29 in the Mar. 1 RPI and own a school record three Top 10 victories and four wins over RPI Top 20. Despite playing more than half of its games on the road, the 49ers are 18-7, overall; 3-0 vs. Top 10 teams; 2-0 vs. 2003 NCAA Final Four participants; 3-2 vs. teams currently in the Top 25 and have broken the school record for 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 seven losses are to Top 100 RPI teams with four coming to Top 35 teams (Cincinnati (20); @ Alabama (23); @ Memphis (26) and UAB (31). Charlotte has been led by C-USA Player of the Year candidate Curtis Withers (16.5 ppg; 9.5 rpg), who leads C-USA with 14 double-doubles. Three other 49ers average in double-figures: Demon Brown (12.0 ppg; 4.1 apg), Brendan Plavich (12.3 ppg; 80 3FGM), Eddie Basden (10.5; 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 (14), is sixth in scoring, second in rebounding and first in offensive rebounding. Withers is averaging 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds in C-USA play and has posted seven 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 .498 from the floor, 3rd-best in C-USA among players with 10 shots 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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