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DENTON, Texas – With their season hanging in the balance, the 13th-seeded Charlotte 49ers (10-21, 3-15) will face the 12th-seeded Rice Owls (13-18, 4-14) in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 12 at 1 p.m.
The Niners will have to get past the Owls at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas, before advancing to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. The winner of the first-round matchup, which will have to win five games in five days to claim the AAC title, faces fifth-seeded Florida Atlantic in the second round of the conference tournament on Thursday, March 13.
Charlotte and Rice faced off twice in the regular season, with each team winning its home game. Wednesday's rubber match will be broadcast live on ESPN+, HERE, and fans can follow along with live statistics, HERE.
As always, Niner Nation can also listen to the action on ESPN 730 The Game with the Voice of the Niners Matt Sweirad and Charlotte alum, Trevor Wilt, calling the game, HERE.
LAYUP LINES
- 13th-seeded Charlotte faces 12th-seeded Rice in the first round of the 2025 American Athletic Conference Championship on Wednesday at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas.
- The winner advances to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth to play 5th-seeded Florida Atlantic on Thursday.
- Playing in the first round, the 49ers must win 5 games in 5 days to claim the AAC Championship title.
- Wednesday marks the third meeting this season between the 49ers and the Owls. Rice won 68-55 in Houston on January 4, while Charlotte won 78-75 at Halton Arena on February 8.
- The 49ers aim to win their first conference tournament game since the first round of the 2016 Conference USA Championship Tournament, when they defeated... Rice.
- The regular season concluded Sunday. The 49ers hosted UTSA for Senior Day. In a pregame ceremony, Isaiah Folkes, Dean Reiber, Giancarlo Rosado, Nika Metskhvarishvili, and Tyler Fearne were honored.
-Folkes, Reiber, and Rosado have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, along with Robert Braswell IV, who was honored on last year's Senior Day.
- Redshirt junior Fearne and sixth-year Metskhvarishvili participated in Senior Day despite having more college eligibility.
- Fifth-years Kylan Blackmon and Jeremiah Oden intend to use their final year of eligibility in 2025-26.
- Graves ranks 13th nationally in free throws made (166) and 18th in attempts (216). Charlotte ranks 17th in the country in free throws made per game (17.3).
- Graves ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. Graves is also the only 49er to start all 30 games this season.
- The Niners are averaging just 10 turnovers a game, the fewest in the AAC and 30th-fewest in the NCAA.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
- Since the Owls' win over Charlotte on January 4, Rice has won just two games—an early February victory at ECU and a 71-50 win over Tulsa on February 22. The Owls' three-game losing streak to end the season cemented them into the first round.
- Trae Broadnax is averaging 12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He ranks fourth in the AAC in assists per game.
- In the February loss at Charlotte, Broadnax scored 21 points on nine field goals. He had 10 points, seven boards, and four assists in the January win.
- Caden Powell is second on the team with 10.3 points per game on 56.9% shooting from the field and leads Rice with 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
- Rob Lanier is the head coach of Rice after spending the past two seasons leading SMU.
SERIES HISTORY
- Charlotte is 10-11 all-time against Rice. The Niners have won four of the last five matchups.
- Graves scored 23 points (7-12 FG, 4-8 3PT) in the 68-55 loss at Rice and 19 points (5-11 FG, 4-7 3PT) in the home win. Off the bench, Jaehshon Thomas dropped a game-high 21 points (6-10 FG, 4-6 3PT) to assist in the victory.
- Last year, the 49ers swept Rice, winning both games of the home-and-home.
- Rice and Charlotte have met twice in conference tournaments. In 2022, the Owls ended the 49ers' season in the second round of the C-USA Tournament. Austin Butler and Clyde Trapp each recorded a pair of double-doubles in the loss.
- In 2016, the Niners' last win in a conference tournament, Charlotte defeated Rice 79-69 in the C-USA quarterfinals at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala. Jon Davis scored a season-high 27 points in the win.
CHARLOTTE DROPS HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE TO UTSA 83-80
- With a combined 43 points, the backcourt duo of Nik Graves and Kylan Blackmon nearly willed the Charlotte 49ers (10-21, 3-15 AAC) to an American Athletic Conference victory in the regular-season finale, but UTSA (12-18, 6-12) escaped with an 83-80 win at Halton Arena on the Niners' Senior Day on Sunday, March 9.
- Trailing 81-74 with under two minutes to play, Charlotte fought back for a chance to force overtime, but Giancarlo Rosado's halfcourt shot with 1.8 seconds remaining could not find the bottom of the net. The Roadrunners had a chance to ice the game and push the lead to four but missed both free throws, setting up Rosado's heave.
- Kylan Blackmon finished with 22 points, a season-high for the fifth-year senior. He made 9-of-10 field goals, four-of-five triples, and pulled down seven boards. Blackmon made his first seven shots and tallied 16 points in the second half. Nik Graves scored 21 points, including 16 in the first half.
A LOOK BACK IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
- Charlotte is playing in the first round of a conference tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 season. 7th-seeded UAB defeated the 10th-seeded 49ers 74-73 in C-USA action at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
- The 49ers' last conference tournament win came in the first round of the 2016 C-USA Championship, where Charlotte defeated Rice 79-69 at Legacy Arena.
- Since the 2018-19 season, Fearne's first year as an assistant coach, the Niners have qualified for the tournament five out of the past six seasons. Charlotte has earned a double-bye twice (2019-20, 2023-24) and advanced to the second round the other three times.
- Last season, the Niners' first year in The American, Charlotte clinched a double-bye as a three seed. In the quarterfinals, the 49ers were upset by 11th-seeded Temple, which went on to reach the championship game before falling to UAB.
FLASHBACK TO FEBRUARY 8: NINERS SHOOT LIGHTS OUT TO COMPLETE 16-POINT COMEBACK AGAINST RICE
- On February 8, Charlotte rained down a season-high 13 three-pointers and erased a 16-point deficit en route to securing the 78-75 win over visiting Rice at Halton Arena.
- Trailing 41-35 at halftime on Bobby Lutz Day, Charlotte honored its former head coach and the winningest coach in program history with his own banner in the rafters of Halton. Then, the 49ers rewarded Niner Nation with an impressive rally to snap a three-game losing streak. The 16-point comeback was the Niners' largest comeback of the season.
- Down 59-55 midway through the second half, the 49ers went on a pivotal 10-0 run to flip their four-point deficit into a 65-59 lead with seven minutes to play.
- Charlotte shot 13-of-28 from behind the arc, with the 13 three-pointers marking a season-high. Jaehshon Thomas (21 points) and Nik Graves (19) combined for 40 points on just 21 total shots. Thomas came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from long range. Graves shot 5-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
FLASHBACK TO JANUARY 4: GRAVES NOTCHES FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN LOSS TO RICE
- On January 4, Nik Graves earned his first career double-double with a 23-point, 11-rebound performance, but it was Rice that claimed the 68-55 victory over Charlotte in AAC action.
- Graves grabbed a career-high 11 boards and shot 7-of-12 from the field to secure his sixth 20-point game of the season.
- Despite ranking sixth nationally with 27.2 free throw attempts per game, Charlotte attempted a season-low 11 free throws. Rice outrebounded Charlotte 41-25 and shot 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from the field and 13-of-13 from the charity stripe in the second half to pull away from the Niners.
- Trailing 42-30 with 14 minutes remaining in the second half, the 49ers fought back with an 8-0 run that cut the deficit to 42-38. Nika Metskhvarishvili drained a triple to start the run and the Charlotte defense ramped up, getting six consecutive stops, including forcing four Rice turnovers. Unfortunately, Charlotte was unable to trim its margin to one possession as the two teams traded buckets for the next six minutes of play.
SENIOR DAY
- Isaiah Folkes, the longest-tenured 49er, has appeared in 116 games over five seasons with Charlotte. The Gainesville, Va., native has played a key role in the Niners' success. He made the game-sealing basket with less than a minute to go in the 2023 CBI Championship, and Charlotte went 14-5 with him as a starter in 2023-24.
- After four seasons at Florida Atlantic, Giancarlo Rosado is enjoying career highs this season in starts (20), points (11.7), rebounds (5.8), and assists per game (3.4). The graduate student is 45 points away from reaching 1,000 points in his collegiate career.
- After seven seasons and 141 games, Robert Braswell IV's collegiate career is coming to a close. In his fourth season with the 49ers, the former Syracuse forward is posting career highs in starts (25), points per game (11), rebounds per game (2.5), total steals (24), and blocks (21).
- Dean Reiber has provided a steady presence and vocal leadership for Charlotte. The Greensboro, N.C., native has appeared in 59 games over two seasons for the 49ers.
- Tyler Fearne has appeared in a total of 12 games for Charlotte, battling back from a torn ACL in January 2023.
- After dealing with injuries in the offseason and preseason, Nika Metskhvarishvili had a slow start to his Charlotte career. Now healthier, his play has improved in conference play, averaging 5.1 points against AAC foes versus 2.8 points in non-conference games.
THE OLD ADAGE: BASKETBALL IS A GAME OF RUNS
- The March 2 game against East Carolina was a prime example of how basketball is indeed a game of momentum swings. Charlotte's first-half lead evaporated when the Pirates went on an 11-0 run. An 8-0 ECU run early in the second half extended their lead from 40-36 to 48-36. The Niners trailed by as many as 13 points, but as the game showed, things can change in an instant.
- Charlotte made back-to-back triples in just 4.5 seconds, turning a 78-70 deficit into a two-point game. The Niners ended up being one shot short of pulling off the dramatic comeback.
- Charlotte's 14-point loss at Tulane on February 26 can be traced back to a 14-0 run that Charlotte surrendered to the Green Wave in the first half, which turned an 11-6 Tulane lead to 25-6. The Niners were forced to play catch-up from that moment as the Green Wave grew their lead to 21 points in the first half.
- A 13-0 run late in the first half by Florida Atlantic was the difference in the 87-75 loss to the Owls on February 10. Trailing 33-29, the Owls went on a game-altering 13-0 run that flipped the four-point deficit into a 42-33 Florida Atlantic lead. In that three-minute span, the 49ers turned the ball over on five straight possessions. Charlotte finished the first half with 11 turnovers as Florida Atlantic took a 46-37 lead into halftime.
- Against East Carolina on February 15, Felton's second-half surge turned the tide for the Pirates. The guard scored 17 points on five-of-six shooting from long range in the second half alone as ECU erased its 35-29 halftime deficit.
- To start the second half versus the Pirates, Rosado and Graves executed a perfect pick-and-roll to take a 37-29 lead. The eight-point advantage matched Charlotte's largest lead. In response, the Pirates made a pair of triples en route to a 10-0 run that gave them a 39-37 lead. The Pirates hit seven of their last eight three-pointers to stretch a 48-45 lead into a 73-56 advantage. In 97 seconds, Felton drained triples on three consecutive possessions to extend a seven-point lead to 14 with four minutes remaining.
EARLY NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
- Head Coach Aaron Fearne began building on his 2025-26 roster by signing two high school products— Jaylen Cross and Jairne Elouna Eyenga on Early National Signing Day on November 15.
- Cross, ranked No. 159 in the country and No. 8 in North Carolina by 247Sports' Composite Rankings, is the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Charlotte since 2009.
- Cross is a six-foot-four guard out of Greensboro, N.C. The Caldwell Academy product is rated as a three-star recruit by On3, 247 Sports, and ESPN, and a four-star recruit by Rivals.
- Elouna Eyenga is a Belgian national currently attending JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The six-foot-nine forward was a member of the Under-18 Belgian National Team, who participated in Division A of FIBA EuroBasket this summer.
- On July 28, 2024, Elouna Eyenga dropped eye-popping totals of 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists against Turkey in the U18 Eurobasket, followed by a 10-point, seven-rebound, two-assist performance on the very next day against Germany.
THE BOYS ARE BACK AGAIN
- Junior Nik Graves headlines the list of eight returners for the 2024-25 campaign. The point guard averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game last season. He led the team with 85 assists, was second with 30 steals, and was the fourth-leading scorer on the squad.
- Isaiah Folkes is back after making 19 starts in 2023-24 for the 49ers. The 49ers were 14-5 with the Gainesville, Va., native as a starter. This will be his fifth season with the program after joining the team in the middle of the 2020-21 campaign.
- Robert Braswell IV is back for his seventh season of college. Over his six-year career, which started at Syracuse, the Jacksonville, Fla., native has made 110 appearances. In his three years in the Queen City, Braswell IV has averaged seven points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from deep.
- Dean Reiber transferred to Charlotte last year after three seasons at Rutgers. He was a mainstay on the court for the 49ers as one of three players to appear in all 31 games last season.
- Nick Richart and Rich Rolf are also back for another season in the Queen City. This is their second and third seasons with the program, respectively. Richart did not play his freshman year after redshirting and Rolf appeared in three games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023-24.
NEW TO THE QUEEN CITY
- Charlotte retooled its roster with seven new additions, including six transfers. Giancarlo Rosado, Ben Bradford, Kylan Blackmon, Aleks Szymczyk, Jaehshon Thomas, Jeremiah Oden, and Nika Metskhvarishvili are new to Charlotte and will be relied on heavily if the Niners wish to improve upon their success last season.
- Rosado is very familiar with the Queen City, but this time he's on the other side of the court as a presumed Charlotte starter after four seasons at Florida Atlantic. The six-foot-eight forward appeared in 118 games with the Owls and he was instrumental in the 2023 run to the Final Four.
- The American is a tough league for freshmen to come in and play, but for guard Ben Bradford, maybe he will be an exception. He certainly has the skill after averaging 27 points per game at Gaithersburg High School. Coach Fearne and this Charlotte staff have a track record of playing freshmen. Graves appeared in 22 games in his first season and former players Brice Williams and Jahmir Young also saw a lot of action as freshmen.
- Blackmon is a silky smooth shooter who shot nearly 36 percent from deep on more than five attempts per game last year for Coastal Carolina. He arrives to the Queen City after two seasons with the Chanticleers. He was the team's third-leading scorer with 11.4 points a game in 2023-24.
- Szymczyk gives the Niners another solid option in the frontcourt. The Frankfurt, Germany native and Florida transfer missed all of the 2023-24 season, but he did appear in 14 games as a true freshman.
- In Thomas, Charlotte has a player with three-level scoring abilities and a combo guard archetype. At Florida Southwestern State, the Aurora, Ill., native led his JuCo with 16 points per game en route to all-conference and all-state honors.
- Oden played at DePaul last season after spending three years at Wyoming. The most experienced player of all the newcomers, the six-foot-nine wing has made 86 starts in his career with averages of 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. In 2022, he started 32 games for Wyoming and helped the Cowboys to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons.
- Nika Metskhvarishvili is a native of Tbilisi, Georgia and he transfers to Charlotte after three seasons with UL-Monroe. In 2023-24, the six-foot-eight forward was a third-team All-Sun Belt selection after leading the team in points (12.3) and rebounds (5.8) per game.
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
- Charlotte finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 7-6 record.
- The 49ers started the season 3-1 with home wins over Presbyterian, Richmond, and Gardner-Webb.
- After suffering home defeats to LIU and ETSU, Charlotte bounced back by winning three of its next four games.
- The highlight of the non-conference schedule was a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
- In the 2nd of 3 games in the event, Charlotte and Murray State delivered "Game of the Year" vibes with a double-overtime thriller that the 49ers won 94-90. Nik Graves scored a career-high and game-high 31 points in the win.
- The Niners nearly forced a second straight overtime game against the College of Charleston on the final day of the event. Charlotte missed the game-tying three as time expired.
2023-24 SEASON RECAP
- Last year, the Niners went 19-12 overall with a 13-5 mark in their first season in The American. The 49ers recorded their first top-three league finish since 2006.
- The 49ers' 13 conference wins and 13 wins at Halton Arena tied program records. Charlotte also recorded its first-ever eight-game conference winning streak, as well as the first win over a ranked opponent at home since 2013.
- The 49ers were led by Lu'Cye Patterson, who was a second-team All-AAC and second-team all-district selection in 2023-24. He had a team-high 14.6 points per game.
- Igor Milicic Jr., last year's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, was a third-team All-AAC pick.
- The duo helped the 49ers outdo the expectations that picked them to finish 13th of 14 in the AAC.
NINER NUGGETS
- Nine regular season games were featured on national television through the ESPN Family of Networks, including 5 Charlotte games on ESPN2.
- Last season, Charlotte's first in The American, the Niners finished 13-5 in conference play, earning their first top-three league finish since 2006. The 49ers' 13 conference wins and 13 victories at Halton Arena tied program records.
- For Christmas 2024, Charlotte traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, to play in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
- With five fifth-year players, a sixth-year, and a seventh-year player on its roster, Charlotte trails only Oklahoma State (eight) for most players in their fifth year or longer of college.
UP NEXT
Wednesday's winner advances to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, to face fifth-seeded Florida Atlantic on Thursday, March 13.
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