Charlotte 49ers give Mark Price his first win as coach

The date of Nov. 19, 2015, will be now an important one for Mark Price.

That’s when Charlotte’s men’s basketball team gave Price his first win as a collegiate head coach, a 77-68 49ers victory over Furman on Thursday at Halton Arena.

“It’s nice – it’s a win,” Price said. “I’ve played this game a long time, played in some really big games, so I’m more happy for our guys. I’m not worried about me as much – it’s about us getting better.

“I want our players to enjoy this one. They did a great job, and they earned it tonight.”

Freshman guard Curran Scott scored a career-high 21 points for Charlotte (1-2), with four other players finishing in double figures in handing the Paladins their first loss.

Andrien White had his first double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Joseph Uchebo added 12 points, and Benas Griciunas and Bernard Sullivan had 10 each.

Stephen Croone had 17 points to lead Furman. Matt Rafferty added 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Devin Sibley and Geoff Beans had 10 points each.

The Paladins led 34-29 at the halftime break, but Scott led a second-half comeback that saw the 49ers tie the score five times, the last at 48-48 with less than 9 minutes remaining.

But Charlotte followed that with an 11-3 run, capped by Scott’s 3-pointer with 4:33 left, to take command. The 49ers took their biggest lead, 77-66, with 16 seconds remaining on Sullivan’s layup.

Three who mattered

Scott: After scoring four total points in Charlotte’s first two games, came up with 18 points in the second half to key the 49ers’ rally.

White: While he’s shown a scoring touch, came up with his first double-digit rebounding game after having five boards total in Charlotte’s first two games.

Croone: Held to just two points in the first half, scored 15 in the final 20 minutes as he single-handedly tries to keep Furman close.

Observations

▪ Charlotte forward Anthony Vanhook sat out Thursday’s game after suffering a concussion during the 49ers’ loss to East Carolina on Monday. There is no timetable on Vanhook’s return to the lineup, according to a team official, although he is expected back for next week’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.

▪ The win couldn’t have come at a better time for the 49ers, who leave for the Bahamas on Monday. Charlotte opens the three-games-in-three-days tournament on Nov. 25 against Syracuse, and will play either No. 24 Michigan or No. 19 Connecticut the next day.

Worth mentioning

▪ Of Charlotte’s 17 turnovers, 13 came off of Furman steals. But in a twist, it was the 49ers who better capitalized off of turnovers, with a 31-18 edge in points after forcing the Paladins into 21 turnovers.

They said it

“I’m real proud of my guys – they kept fighting. This was the best 40 minutes we’ve played in the young season.” – Price.

“It was big for me and the team to get this first win under our belt. We’re learning as a team, learning how everyone plays, and how we want to keep moving forward.” – Scott.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 9:40 PM.