‘Gritty’ Charlotte 49ers snap 2-game losing streak during tough stretch
Ron Sanchez knows the stretch of schedule his Charlotte 49ers are playing through is uncommonly difficult.
And that’s why Thursday’s 70-68 come-from-behind victory against Florida Atlantic at Halton Arena was more meaningful for the 49ers’ second-year coach.
“I’m really thankful for that ‘W,’ “ Sanchez said. “These guys have been battling for the last 11 days, preparing for this stretch. We challenged them to understand that there’s more in them than they think. They know it’s a tough stretch, but their no-quit mentality really showed today.”
Thursday’s game was the fourth in eight days for the 49ers (11-7, 5-2 Conference USA) and it continues Saturday at home against Florida International — making it a five-games-in-10-days slog. The 49ers, who started their C-USA season with three consecutive victories at home, started the stretch with a victory at Marshall (pushing their league record to 4-0), then lost at Western Kentucky and at Old Dominion.
They’re back with this home stand against FAU and FIU. Despite dropping the final two games of the road trip, beating the Owls on Thursday allowed the 49ers to stay near the top of the C-USA standings, one game behind in the loss column to North Texas (13-8, 7-1) and WKU (13-6, 6-1).
“We don’t think about that,” Sanchez said of the 49ers’ place in the league standings. “Sincerely, we don’t want to go on a skid. Skids happen. But we’re looking through the windshield. We don’t go through life looking at the rear-view mirror.”
Sanchez might have been looking back at a bad loss against FAU (12-8, 4-3), had it not been for a second-half rally that erased a 14-point Owls lead. The 49ers, led by freshman Jahmir Young and sophomore Luka Vasic, went on a 13-0 run to get back in the game.
“We were down 12 points (at one point), and I said in the huddle, ‘there’s no 12-point shot,’ ” Sanchez said. “Just do what we’ve coached in those moments. We had to get a stops and scores, but the only way this changes if we keep getting the stops.”
Young, who scored 24 points and had seven rebounds, made five of six free throws down the stretch. Vasic, who didn’t play in the first half, scored five points, including a 3-pointer and a layup that cut the Owls lead to one point, 58-57, with 4 minutes, 18 seconds left.
“We’ve got a couple of gritty guys,” Sanchez said. “I asked them to check that grit box because we need all of you, and they did.”
Said Young, who earlier this week was named C-USA’s freshman of the week for the fourth time: “I definitely let things come to me. I tried to make the right play. We wanted to get the best shot we could, then make stops, then build on that.”
Sanchez also credited assistant coaches Aaron Fearne, Kotie Kimble and Vic Sfera for their part in keeping things organized, as well as the Halton crowd of 3,752 urging the 49ers on.
“These guys don’t want to lose,” Sanchez said. “You watch them in the locker room after an ‘L,’ they hurt. They don’t want to taste that. They know if they fight, they always have a chance. It’s important for me to know I can continue to push them, there’ s more in them. I can push them out of their comfort one without stepping over the line. It’s our responsibility to get every ounce of what they have out of them. If they want to get every ounce, that’s the difference.”