Late free throws lift Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball to upset win against No. 17 FAU
Charlotte’s Lu’Cye Patterson sank two free throws with 1.7 seconds left as the 49ers earned their first home win against a Top 25 team since 2010, upsetting No. 17 Florida Atlantic, 70-68, on Saturday.
The game was tied at 68 when Patterson was fouled by FAU’s Bryan Greenlee and canned both shots.
The Owls (11-4, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) heaved a deep pass to Vladislav Goldin, who tossed it to Nick Boyd in the corner for a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. But the shot clanged off the iron for the first victory by Charlotte (7-7, 1-1) in three games.
“I’m just super excited for the guys, for the school, for the program,” said Charlotte 49ers coach Aaron Fearne said afterward. “To get a top-25 win is massive and it’s been a work in progress since we took the program over six years ago.”
The 49ers’ last home win against a ranked team was on Jan. 27, 2010, when they knocked off No. 15 Temple 56-51. It was Charlotte’s first win over a ranked team overall since 2013, when the 49ers beat Michigan Puerto Rico Shootout.
Charlotte’s Patterson scored 16 points, while Igor Milicic Jr. had 13 and Nik Graves 10. Said Fearne of Patterson, who was clutch in the final two minutes: “Some guys want the ball, some guys don’t and Lu’Cye definitely wants it in his hands to make those plays and he made some big ones for us down the stretch.”
After the game, jubilant Charlotte students stormed the court at Halton Arena, temporarily disrupting an on-court interview with Patterson.
Dishon Jackson recorded eight points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists for the 49ers, who led by 15 at halftime and as many as 17 points in the second half.
Charlotte improved to 6-1 at home and won for just the second time in the past six games.
Johnell Davis topped the Owls with 20 points, while Boyd scored a season-high 19.
After winning their AAC debut Tuesday at home over East Carolina, FAU failed to find any scoring touch early while the homestanding 49ers hit five straight field goals for a 16-4 lead after eight minutes of action.
Graves drained a pair of 3-pointers to help build the advantage, but the visitors helped by failing to score for almost the first six minutes — finally tallying 5:48 into the contest on Boyd’s layup.
Boyd’s bucket was the only successful one in FAU’s first 11 chances, but the Owls sliced the deficit to nine, 23-14, on Goldin’s layup at 8:27 against their former Conference USA foe.
A trey by Dean Reiber, who had a game-high eight points at the break, closed out the first half’s scoring with Charlotte holding a 41-26 edge.
The 49ers sizzled from the field, making 16 of 29 from the floor (55.2 percent) and sank 5 of 11 from distance (45.5 percent) in the first half.
This story was originally published January 7, 2024 at 10:59 AM.