Who’s Playing
Western Carolina @ Charlotte
Regular Season Records: Western Carolina 18-15; Charlotte 18-14
What to Know
The Charlotte 49ers will face off against the Western Carolina Catamounts in a playoff contest at Ocean Center at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. These two teams are out to turn their luck around after having lost tight contests in their previous games.
Charlotte lost a heartbreaker to the Middle Tenn. Blue Raiders when they met in January, and they left with a heavy heart again last Thursday. The 49ers were just a bucket shy of a victory and fell 66-65 to Middle Tenn. The matchup was as close as the oddsmakers predicted, but Charlotte had been the slight favorite coming in. Charlotte’s defeat came about despite a quality game from forward Aly Khalifa, who had 14 points in addition to seven rebounds.
Speaking of close games: it was close but no cigar for Western Carolina as they fell 83-80 to the Furman Paladins last week. Western Carolina’s loss came about despite a quality game from guard Vonterius Woolbright, who dropped a double-double on 30 points and 11 boards along with five assists. That makes it three consecutive games in which Woolbright has had at least ten rebounds. Woolbright’s points were the most he has had all year.
A pair of numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: Charlotte is 42nd worst in college basketball in takeaways, with only 11 on average. The Catamounts are completely their equal: they are stumbling into the game with the 42nd fewest takeaways in college basketball, having accrued only 11 on average. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Ocean Center — Daytona Beach, Florida
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Series History
Charlotte won the only game these two teams have played in the last nine years.
- Dec 22, 2021 – Charlotte 98 vs. Western Carolina 82
