From the corner of the John M. Belk Arena hardwood, Zach LaPut called game.
Davidson led for most of its 75-71 victory over Charlotte on Tuesday night, but the pesky 49ers didn’t let the Wildcats truly pull away. Charlotte was holding the halftime advantage and making big shots down the stretch, even pulling to within two points inside the two-minute mark.
But LaPut — the Wildcats’ new fifth-year guard, who transferred after four seasons at Bentley University in Massachusetts — had the final answer.
Davidson head coach Matt McKillop had drawn up a play to drain the shot clock and then drive into the paint for a layup. He noticed his players taking open shots early in possessions and truly felt charging through the lane would give the Wildcats their best chance to put the game to bed.
But once McKillop watched the basketball leave LaPut’s hands, he knew there was no doubt.
“I had a good angle. I saw it going in,” McKillop said in the postgame news conference. “It takes some courage to do something like that, and we had a couple of guys step up and do some courageous things when it mattered. Really pleased with Zach (LaPut) — he had five offensive rebounds, too — and the second chances he gave us.
“(LaPut) also had four assists. The fight he had on the defensive end allowed us to be positioned to win the game.”
Tuesday’s game marked the 51st meeting between the Mecklenburg County schools, and this was the 43rd time that the “Hornets’ Nest Trophy” was awarded to the winner.
Charlotte still leads the all-time series, 31-20, but Davidson has now won nine of the past 12 matchups. It was another close win for the Wildcats last season in University City, and it’s now been two years since the Niners put them away with a buzzer beater inside Belk Arena.
How Davidson held off Charlotte and won the Hornets’ Nest Trophy
Nik Graves knocked down his first four shots, helping Charlotte (4-4) build a 12-point lead early in the first half.
But Davidson (7-2) struck right back.
A quick 10-2 burst brought it to one-possession game once again, and then it was LaPut — who finished with seven points — who nailed a 3-pointer and pushed Davidson on top early.
The Niners, who made nearly 62% of shots during the first half, held a 44-41 lead at halftime. While they were keeping the game close, it proved difficult to maintain that advantage inside a raucous Belk Arena — but there was plenty of green and gold in the crowd alongside the Wildcats’ red.
“I don’t love hearing Charlotte fans in our gym, but I love the fact that there was energy around this game,” McKillop said. “It felt like a very great environment, and that carried us back into the game. Their crowd probably carried them back into the game. And we closed it out with some excitement.”
Key shots from junior forwards Reed Bailey and Sean Logan helped Davidson go on a 12-3 run and take a commanding lead early in the second half. The Wildcats built a dominant advantage, but Charlotte wasn’t going away.
With their deficit down to just six points inside the two-minute mark, Niners junior guard Jaehshon Thomas nailed a 3-pointer to bring them closer. And then a strong Graves drive to the rim during the final minute made it a one-score game.
Who were the leading scorers for Davidson and Charlotte?
Bailey, who ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 conference with 18.4 points per game, led the way for Davidson with another 18-point night. Sophomore forward Bobby Durkin scored 14 points, and freshman guard Roberts Blums made a trio of long balls in a 13-point performance.
Graves — Charlotte’s top scorer, who’s among the best in the American Athletic Conference — led all scorers with 23 points on Tuesday night. Thomas finished with 16 points, while graduate student Robert Braswell IV posted a 13-point night.
“The responsibility is on (Graves)‘ shoulders to go and perform every night,” Charlotte head coach Aaron Fearne said. “He came out aggressive (Tuesday). I felt the last few games, I had to challenge him a little on that, and he responded to that. I felt he probably took a half-step back when they made their run, so I challenged him again in a timeout.
“He came out and was aggressive again. It’s just his growth and being able to do that when things aren’t going well, either.”
Notable
▪ Davidson’s only two losses this season have come against AP Top 25 opponents: Gonzaga and Arizona.
▪ While Charlotte has generally defended the 3-pointer well this season, it’s been burned on the boards and in the paint. The Niners are getting outrebounded by a -2.14 margin — the second-worst in the American — and own a conference-worst 1.8 blocks per game.
▪ The Wildcats, who lead the Atlantic 10 with a .748 team free-throw percentage, have been getting crushed beneath the glass and by the long ball. Davidson’s opponents are knocking down 40.3% of 3-pointers — the most of in its conference — and its 33.8 team rebounds per game are the worst of the conference’s 15 schools.
Up next?
▪ Davidson returns to Belk Arena for its third straight home game at 7 p.m. Saturday against Detroit Mercy, and the Wildcats will then head to Philadelphia for a date with Temple on Dec. 18.
▪ Charlotte stays on the road, traveling to Atlanta for a non-conference game against Georgia State at 2 p.m. Saturday, before returning to Halton Arena at 7 p.m. on Dec. 17, to host West Georgia.
▪ Conference play begins Dec. 31. Davidson tips off Atlantic 10 play at George Mason on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, while the 49ers will start their American Athletic Conference slate at home against Tulane.
This story was originally published December 10, 2024, 10:33 PM.