SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men’s basketball team (4-20, 0-12 AMER) returns to the Tar Heel State for the second time this week, heading to Dale F. Halton Arena on Sunday for the rematch with Charlotte (13-11, 7-4 AMER). The Roadrunners are looking to snap their losing skid and replicate results from the last trip to Charlotte. Sunday’s conference tilt will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
On the Air and on the Web
Sunday’s 11 a.m. CT tipoff with the 49ers at Halton Arena will be a national broadcast on ESPNU and can be streamed on ESPN+, with Ted Emrich (play-by-play) and Chris Spatola (analyst) on the call from Charlotte.
The radio broadcast will appear on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket with Andy Everett (play-by-play) covering the action live from Greenville. The broadcast will feature a 30-minute pregame and 15-minute postgame show – available online at Ticket760.com or via the free iHeartRadio app.
Charlotte Athletics will also provide Live Stats.
About the UTSA Roadrunners
The Roadrunners are on a big travel week and still looking to get out of the conference slump and looking to even out the in-season series with the 49ers after a late push in the first half by Charlotte gave momentum in spoiling UTSA’s home American opener in the second week of January. After playing short two additional players in Greenville, UTSA returns to North Carolina averaging 68.8 ppg on 39.5 percent shooting, averaging 36.4 rpg and sitting at fifth in the American with an NCAA-52nd 4.5 bpg.
In Greenville, graduate student Jamir Simpson had 11 points for his 22nd double-figure game of the season – pacing the Roadrunners with an American-eighth 15.9 ppg, topping UTSA with 46 threes, along with 1.8 apg. Both absent from the game at East Carolina, junior Austin Nunez averages 9.8 ppg and a team-high 2.8 apg, while freshman Dorian Hayes puts up 8.4 ppg and is only second to Simpson from long range with 44 triples. In Greenville, junior Brent Moss reached double-digit scoring for the fifth time in the last six games with 15 points off five threes, while grad Daniel Akitoby had a breakout double-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds to lead UTSA. Sophomore Baboucarr Njie leads UTSA with 5.3 rpg and ranks 33rd nationally with an American-fourth 1.9 bpg – also adding 8.1 ppg.
About the Charlotte 49ers
The season has taken a big upswing for the 49ers in the third season under Aaron Fearne since these teams first met. Charlotte was UTSA’s first sub-.500 opponent in conference play and have since risen to a tie for third in the American, going 5-3 in league play since downing UTSA on Jan. 7. One of the slowest offenses in the country (351st in tempo), the 49ers average 73.3 ppg on 45.7 shooting and only average 34.5 rpg despite holding the 21st-tallest roster in the country. Defensively, Charlotte allows 43.5 percent opponent shooting, including 34.4 percent from three, creating just 9.7 turnovers per game while allowing 12.2 of their own. Charlotte is 9-4 at home this season, including 2-1 in American play.
Much like earlier in the season, Charlotte still spreads the scoring around, but the spotlight has centered on sophomore Ben Bradford, Marshall transfer Dezayne Mingo and Providence transfer Anton Bonke. Bradford leads CLT at 12.6 ppg, shooting 45 percent and the biggest contributor at the line while shooting 79.8 percent. Mingo scores 12.1 ppg and tops CLT in assists with an American-sixth 4.3 apg. Bonke scores 10.2 ppg and tops the squad with 8.0 rpg and 1.5 bpg.
Series History
Charlotte leads the 15-game series, 9-6 after taking the 74-58 win at the Convo on Jan. 7. However, the Roadrunners hold the last win in Charlotte, claiming the 83-80 victory in the March 9 back-and-forth matchup that featured 10 lead changes and five ties. UTSA is 2-5 in the series in Charlotte. The series dates back to 2014 as familiar opponents from their shared time in Conference USA.
Up Next
The Roadrunners return to the Convocation Center next Wednesday, Feb. 18, hosting the rematch with Florida Atlantic for Student Appreciation Night, heading to meet Tulsa on the road on Sunday at the Reynolds Center.
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