49ers hand App State their second loss of the season
In what can be described as nothing short of a thriller, Charlotte 49ers Basketball defeated Appalachian State 67-66 with the help of a late three-pointer by junior guard Jahmir Young with little time remaining.
First-Half Recap
App State looked like they jumped the 49ers early getting out to a 7-0 lead early. It wasn’t till an Aly Khalifa layup at the 17:40 mark that the 49ers got on the board. These were two points in a 13-0 run by the 49ers as Jahmir Young would score six points in this run.
The Mountaineers would claw their way back slowly until the 49ers started raining threes from everywhere. Jackson Threadgill hit one, Jared Garcia hit one, Clyde Trapp hit one. Everything was going right for the 49ers down the stretch in the first half.
Young finished the half with 15 of the 49ers’ 42 points in the opening half. Threadgill trailing with nine. It was an all-around great performance by the 49ers in the first half of play. Now, the question was, could they keep the same intensity going into the second half?
Second Half Recap
It was slow going early on in the second half for both teams as the first score would not come till three minutes in with a Jackson Threadgill layup. The layup was assisted by Aly Khalifa who totaled seven assists on the game.
The 49ers’ largest lead would be 17 points at the 15:37 mark leading 50-33. A little bit of breathing room to where if the 49ers continued to play solid they should cruise to a victory.
Well, maybe not…
App State marched back to take the lead 55-54 with 7:45 to play. Yes, we were probably all thinking the same thing. Not again! It was an all-out slugfest the rest of the way with both teams hitting big shot after big shot changing leads several times before Young hit the dagger for the 49ers.
After a solid screen by Khalifa to get him open, Trapp found Young in the corner for the three to take the lead and eventually the win. App State would end up having one last heave from half-court that was unsuccessful ending in a 49er win.
Player of the Game
Take a guess; of course, it’s Jahmir Young. Young was outstanding shooting an extremely efficient 4-6 from three-point range and grabbing six rebounds as well. His lone block came in a crucial moment as the Mountaineers had a chance to go up by four but Young got his hands on the shot and the rest is history.
Worth Noting
— This was Head Coach Ron Sanchez’s first win against Appalachian State after falling short in all previous bouts.
— This is Charlotte’s second one-point victory of the season, so needless to say a point of emphasis for Sanchez and company will be working on closing out games in which the team has substantial leads.
Looking forward
The 49ers are back in action on Nov. 22 as they start their run in the Bahamas at the Baha Mar Hoops Championship. Catch the action on Flo Hoops or follow @cwilliamsports on Twitter for live updates. On my birthday 🙂 What better birthday present than a 49er win?
