Charlotte 49ers drop another close C-USA game, 73-72, to MTSU
Mark Price can see a difference in Charlotte’s men’s basketball team from the beginning of the season to now.
The biggest difference? The 49ers are now giving teams with winning records fits, even in a loss.
Charlotte dropped its second straight close Conference USA game Thursday, falling to Middle Tennessee 73-72 at Halton Arena.
Reggie Upshaw Jr.’s free throw with 3.8 seconds left gave the Blue Raiders (11-5, 3-1 C-USA) their third straight win – but it easily could have been the 49ers’ first win over a team with a winning record.
“I thought we played well enough to win the game,” said Price, whose team lost to Louisiana Tech 93-90 in overtime on Saturday.
“I was disappointed in the way it ended up, and I’m disappointed for my guys because they played hard. It was a tough way to end it.”
All five starters finished in double figures for the 49ers (4-12, 1-3) – Braxton Ogbueze had 19, Curran Scott 16, Jon Davis 13, Andrien White 10 and Joseph Uchebo had 11 points and 18 rebounds.
That group kept the 49ers in a game that went through 20 lead changes and nine ties against Middle Tennessee, the preseason pick to finish third in the conference this season.
With the score tied at 72, Upshaw missed his first free throw attempt, and Price called time out before his second shot.
“Upshaw had been strugging at the free throw line,” Price said. “If he missed the second one, we would’ve lost seconds getting the rebound and calling time out.
“So the thought process was hopefully he missed the second one, they’ve already been told what to do and go right into it. But he made it, and there wasn’t enough time to get the ball down the floor.”
Three who mattered
Braxton Ogbueze: Hit four 3-pointers, and was 7 of 9 from the free throw line for Charlotte.
Joseph Uchebo: Had his fourth double-double this season, and was two boards away from tying his career best (20).
Giddy Potts: Scored a career-high 29 points for the Blue Raiders, hitting 9 of 11 from the field, including 7 of 8 3-pointers.
Observations
▪ Charlotte forward Bernard Sullivan, still recovering from a concussion, missed his sixth straight game, and forward Anthony Vanhook sat out Wednesday’s game with an injured ankle.
▪ With Vanhook out, Price went with a four-guard lineup (Ogbueze, Scott, Davis and White) with Uchebo at center – the 10th different starting lineup the 49ers have used this season.
▪ The 49ers overcame a field goal disadvantage against Middle Tennessee thanks, in part, to their free throw shooting. Charlotte made 10 of 14 in the first half and 19 of 27 for the game, compared to 8 of 17 by Middle Tennessee (1 of 5 in the first half).
▪ The Blue Raiders had a 42-28 rebounding advantage against the 49ers, including a 14-6 edge in offensive boards. That led to a 17-3 margin in second-chance points.
Worth mentioning
▪ Charlotte assistant coach Houston Fancher played college ball at Middle Tennessee, graduating in 1988.
▪ Former NBA star Vernon Maxwell, now an college scout for the Houston Rockets, was courtside at Thursday’s game.
▪ The 49ers’ Conference USA homestand continues Saturday night when they host Alabama-Birmingham. Game time is 7 p.m.
They said it
“We’ve had unbelievable improvement. The guys are playing really good basketball right now. We’re finally feeling comfortable with each other out on the floor, and with the system that we’re trying to play. Now we’ve got to take it to the next level, and learn now to win.” – Price.
“There’s definitely some improvement; we’ve just got to learn how to win. We’ve got to step up and get stops as a team. That’s what it comes down to. There’s definitely been some improvement, but we want to win.” – Ogbueze.
This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers drop another close C-USA game, 73-72, to MTSU."