ECU’s Jayden Gardner was too much for Charlotte as 49ers drop their season opener

Jayden Gardner gave the Charlotte 49ers a demonstration Friday afternoon in why he was picked as a preseason first-team all-conference player.

Gardner scored a game-high 18 points and led a veteran East Carolina team past Charlotte, 66-57, in the opening day of the 49ers’ Tip-Off Classic at Halton Arena. It was the season-opener for each team.

A 6-foot-7 junior forward from Wake Forest’s Heritage High School, Gardner scored 10 of the Pirates’ final 12 points. He earned all-American Athletic Conference honors last season and was picked again to the preseason squad.

“Good players find a way to put the ball in the basket, and he’s someone who averaged 19 points a game and was all-conference,” 49ers’ coach Ron Sanchez said.

East Carolina (1-0) returned all five starters and 97% of its scoring from a year ago. Charlotte played two freshmen and two sophomores much of the game. Down the stretch, the difference in experience showed.

The 49ers (0-1) had redshirt freshman Caleb Stone-Carrawell, from Cox Mill High in Cabarrus County, guarding Gardner. He did well at times, but Sanchez said it was a tough assignment.

“You don’t want your baptism of fire against someone who averages 19 points,” Sanchez said. “That’s a tough way to start. But Caleb played hard, and he did a good job at times.”

It was the 49ers who looked like the experienced team at the start. Charlotte bolted to a lead that grew to 20-10 on two free throws by Jahmir Young with about 12 minutes left in the first half. But the Pirates went on a 19-4 run for a 29-24 lead with 4:51 left in the first half.

The 49ers battled back and were tied 32-all at the half.

Charlotte’s final lead was 42-40 on a Jordan Shepherd free throw with 13:39 left. East Carolina then scored 20 of the next 30 points and was up 60-52 with 2:39 left.

The 49ers cut the gap to five points in the final minute but missed several shots in the final 40 seconds.

“We learned that we have to tighten up our defense,” Shepherd said. “It’s different from practice, when you’re playing against each other. I think we learned a lot today.”

Sanchez said he expected “mishaps, miscommunication” from his team, given its relative lack of practice time and absence of exhibition games.

“We had too many turnovers,” he said. “But our defense did OK. They (the Pirates) made some good shots in the lane.

“Now we know who we are. We have some footage on our guys.”

AND ONE

Shepherd had a strong first game. He hit 6 of 11 shots from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and grabbed five rebounds. The 49ers’ redshirt senior guard finished with a team-high 15 points.

PERSONAL FOUL

Charlotte’s shooting was shaky. The 49ers made six of their first 11 shots, then hit 14-of-42 the rest of the way. They were 5 of 19 from 3-point range. East Carolina’s big men blocked four Charlotte shots and altered the trajectory of several others.

ICYMI

▪ Ron Sanchez wore a white towel over his shoulder throughout the game. “This was a tribute to John Thompson,” he said, referring to the one-time Georgetown coach who died earlier this year. Referring Thompson’s role in helping open the door for Black coaches, Sanchez added, “He made it possible for people like me to be in this position.”

▪ Sanchez thanked East Carolina for agreeing to come to Charlotte and compete in the three-team weekend event. The Pirates face Belmont Abbey at 3 p.m. Saturday in Halton Arena, and then the 49ers play Belmont Abbey at 6 p.m. Monday.

▪ Positive COVID tests and contact tracing has taken a toll on the 49ers’ coaching staff. While no players were out Friday, several coaches were. Sanchez had only one assistant on the bench.

▪ East Carolina is now 3-10 at Halton Arena. This was the first time since 2002 that the Pirates opened their season on the road.

▪ Jackson Threadgill missed his first five shots in his opening game with the 49ers, but the freshman from Davidson Day hit a 3-pointer late in the game. “He’s been shooting extremely ell in practice,” Sanchez said. “I think freshman jitters played a role.”

MAKING SENSE OF THE NUMBERS

14: Points by guard Jhery Matos, a graduate transfer from Dayton, in his first game as a 49er. He scored Charlotte’s opening five points.

1: Number of 49er players who shot better than 50% from the floor. That was Jordan Shepherd, who made 6-of-11.

0: Number of fans at the game. Due to local and state regulations surrounding COVID-19, the 49ers are not permitting fans at home basketball games.

This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 6:09 PM.