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NEW YORK For the Charlotte 49ers, it’s the National Invitational Tournament or nothing.
At 21-11, Charlotte, which lost to Saint Louis 72-55 in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament Friday at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, doesn’t have a resume strong enough to warrant consideration for an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament.
There are three other postseason tournaments in men’s basketball: the NIT, the College Basketball Invitational and the Collegeinsider.com tournament. But 49ers athletics director Judy Rose said the NIT, if they’re invited, is the 49ers only option.
Rose said she told men’s coach Alan Major and women’s coach Cara Consuegra when they were hired that that the only postseason tournaments that the 49ers will play in are the NCAA and NIT.
The women (24-5), upset by Temple in the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament last week, are hopeful of receiving an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. The Charlotte women have made the postseason 10 consecutive seasons – eight times in the WNIT.
Notes
• After making 12-of-15 free throws against Richmond, including eight of 11 in the final five seconds, Charlotte’s Pierria Henry was just 1-3 against Saint Louis. Charlotte made eight of nine in the first half, then slumped to four of 13 in the second half.
• The 49ers outrebounded Saint Louis 39-34, but had just 10 offensive rebounds and were outscored 28-24 in the paint by the Billikens.
• Richmond coach Chris Mooney, who had two technical fouls and was ejected from Thursday’s loss against Charlotte, won’t face disciplinary action from the Atlantic 10, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
• It was a tough tournament for 49ers guards not named Henry. Sophomore E. Victor Nickerson was a combined one-of-10 from the field, sophomore Terrence Williams four-of-17 and freshman Denzel Ingram one-of-10.
• The Atlantic 10 will hold its Inaugural Legends Celebration before Saturday’s semifinals. Cedric Maxwell and Paula Bennett are Charlotte’s legends.
