GAME NOTES: Charlotte Hosts Tulane on Senior Day
March 5, 2004
Halton Arena -
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Charlotte Hosts Tulane (Wed., Mar. 6 - 3:00 p.m.) Radio: WFNZ, SportsRadio 610am (Matt Swierad; Gary Williams; Henry Williams) The Charlotte 49ers (19-7; 11-4; #30 RPI (Mar. 4) host Tulane (11-15; 4-11; RPI - 171), Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. Charlotte, which can earn its first 20-win regular-season since 1991-92, is still looking to secure one of the four first-round byes in the C-USA Tournament. Bobby Lutz is after his 3rd 20-win season as 49ers head coach. Tulane has clinched its berth into the Tournament. The 49ers picked up their school-record 10th "true" road win (neutral sites not included) of the season on Wednesday, winning at Houston, 82-61. Charlotte is 8-2 in its last 10 games; 3-1 vs. ranked teams; 3-2 in games vs. teams currently in the Top 25 and 4-2 in games vs. current RPI Top 25 teams.
Charlotte v. Tulane: Charlotte is 12-8 all-time vs. Tulane, including wins in each of the last four contests. The 49ers are 3-0 vs. Tulane in Halton Arena and 7-2 all-time at home against the Green Wave. Head coach Bobby Lutz is 4-1 vs. Tulane. The two teams did not meet last season.
A Balanced Attack: Did you know: Charlotte leads C-USA in scoring and rebounding and is third in steals, assists and field goal pct. Balance. All-Around play. Four players average in double figures. The last two times that happened: 1988 (NCAA); 2002 (NCAA). Four players have scored over 25 points in a game and three have been named C-USA Player of the Week, at least once. Charlotte has had at least four players score in double figures nine times this year, including five of the last nine games. Of the 49ers 85 double-figure outings, 30 (or 35%) have been from the frontcourt (Withers 22; Clemmons 4; Iti 3; Pigford); 34 (or 40%) have been from the backcourt (Plavich 15; Brown 13; Baldwin 6) and 21 (25%) have been from wings (Basden 16; Johnson 5).
Quick Synopsis: At 11-4 in C-USA play, the 49ers have matched their second-highest league win total since joining the conference (most wins: 13, 1997-98). At 19-7 overall, Charlotte makes a bid for its first 20-win regular-season since 1991-92. The 49ers won 19 regular-season games in 1996-97 and 1994-95. The 49ers are #30 in the Mar. 4 RPI and own a school record three Top 10 victories and four wins over RPI Top 25. Despite playing more than half of its games on the road, the 49ers are 19-7, 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 (10).
The 49ers sport Top 10 road wins at #7/#7 Syracuse (1st time in NCAA history that a defending champ lost its home opener) and at #8/#7 Cincinnati (Bearcats were 62-5 in C-USA home games) and a home win over #9/#9 Louisville. They also sport a win at current Top 25 Southern Illinois (snapped the Salukis 31-game home win streak).
Other key wins include a road win at DePaul and vs. Marquette and Saint Louis at home. All seven losses are to Top 75 RPI teams with four to Top 35 teams (Cincinnati (21); @ Alabama (24); @ Memphis (26) and UAB (33).
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 (12.6 ppg; 4.1 apg), Brendan Plavich (12.2 ppg; 82 3FGM), Eddie Basden (10.8; 57 steals). All four have had a 25+ scoring night and Withers (twice), Brown and Plavich have 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.",br>
- Seth Davis, CNN/SI
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