Charlotte 49ers basketball returns after long break with games on the road
A Texas winter storm wiped out Senior Day for the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball team and erased the team’s only home games during the last month of the season.
But 49ers head coach Ron Sanchez says his team understood things like that might happen in this season of disruption.
The 49ers (9-11, 5-7 Conference USA), who haven’t played in 14 days, open a two-game series in west Texas on Saturday against UTEP (10-10, 6-8). The teams will play at 6 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
“The kids prepared hard,” Sanchez said of his team’s practices leading up to what should have been a home series last weekend against UTSA. “But we understand that this is a season of pivot. We’re making that pivot.
“But it was disappointing.”
UTSA’s trip to Charlotte was called off, due to the impact of power outages and water system failures across much of Texas.
So now the 49ers will open what amounts to at least three straight weeks on the road. Charlotte closes the regular season next weekend with two games at Marshall, then returns to Texas for the conference tournament the following week.
“Now that we know we’re finishing on the road, we’re dedicating ourselves to some things,” Sanchez said. “We want to hit a stride here. At a conference tournament, records don’t matter. The idea is to be ready, then play for today.”
The 49ers need to hit that stride. They have lost their past four games, slipping out of contention in Conference USA’s East Division. They are fourth but could finish as high as third by winning three or all four of their remaining games.
Sanchez said his team was hurt by injuries this season, and players had to learn new positions. He said that with overall health much improved, the 49ers will be better for the experience. And, he said, there is a target coming into sight.
“We’re really looking forward to the tournament,” he said. “You never know how far we could actually go. There is excitement in getting to the end, and seeing how far we can go.”
49er women at home
The 49er women (8-7, 7-3) are hosting UTEP (15-6, 12-4) this weekend, with games Friday and at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Saturday contest will be Senior Day.
Coach Cara Consuegra’s team has won three in a row and is second in Conference USA East.
49ers change attendance policies
With the relaxation of the modified stay-at-home mandate in North Carolina, the Charlotte 49ers say they have altered attendance policies for home sports events.
With 6-foot distancing requirements in mind, attendance capacity has been set at 181 for baseball, 50 for softball, and 820 for men’s and women’s soccer. Top priority has been given to students and to university guests, but for information, check 49ers’ ticket website.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
