The Charlotte 49ers tallied close to 90 points in their victory Tuesday, Dec. 8, against the College of Charleston.
Alexis Alexander started the night off making the first basket of the game. By the end of the first period Alexander totaled six points and four rebounds. It was a very aggressive start as each team tallied four steals. Kira Gordon, Ciara Gregory, Amaya Ransom and Kenya Olley all contributed points for Charlotte during the first quarter of play. A two-pointer from Alexander solidified the 19-16 lead as the buzzer sounded.
Charlotte broke away in the second quarter scoring 11 points in the paint, six of those off of turnovers. Gordon stepped up scoring ten points and tallied four rebounds. Alexander kept up her stellar performance and ended the second period with 11 points and nine rebounds. Charlotte’s defense held Charleston to just 11 points in the second period, entering halftime with a 40-27 lead.
Charleston put together a third quarter push, but it was to no avail. Gordon, Alexander, Gregory, Laia Raventós and Lefty Webster all tallied points for the 49ers. The ladies in green enjoyed a noteworthy lead going into the fourth quarter, 62-48.
Amaya Ransom cuts to the basket. Photo by Leysha Caraballo
The 49ers’ defense reappeared in the fourth quarter, holding the Cougars to just 13 points. Gregory exploded in the fourth quarter, as she ended the game shooting 6-11 from behind the three point arc. The 49ers kept up the pace and defeated the Cougars by 28 points, 89-61.
Alexander had her second double-double of the season Tuesday night. She totaled 12 rebounds and 21 points in Tuesday’s game. She also shot 3-3 on the free-throw line.
Tuesday marked the final home non-conference game of the season.
“The great thing about our non-conference play is we’ve seen so many different things from so many different teams. It was a great opportunity for us to have that chance to go against something different and I thought for the most part we did a good job,” Charlotte head coach Cara Consuegra said.
The 49ers suffered a tough loss Sunday to N.C. State, during which they lacked in free throws and rebounds. Monday the team had a discussion about what direction they wanted the season to go.
“We put the challenge on the players to make a decision about the type of team they want to be. I think they answered that challenge really well,” Consuegra said.
Charlotte’s stats can confirm Consuegra’s beliefs. Charlotte shot 100 percent from the free-throw line compared to the 58 percent shot Sunday. They totaled 48 rebounds, 17 offensive and 31 defensive, and shot 12-24 behind the arc. The 49ers’ defense held Charleston to 35 percent shooting.
Kira Gordon stands at the foul line. Photo by Leysha Caraballo
Alexander contributes the success tonight to two words: effort and confidence.
“On Sunday we found them, but we didn’t drive back. Tonight we made an intentional effort to box out and to fight back,” Alexander said.
After tonight, the 49ers enter a break in their schedule due to final exams. Though the team will take some time to rest, this time off will also be used to practice things that they can’t normally work on when they are in a time crunch.
“We still have a lot of things that we need to improve,” Consuegra said. “The great thing about finals is we can take a few days off, but you also have an opportunity to really practice. I’m looking forward to give them some time to rest, which they’ve earned, but to also get back to the basics that will help us grow as a team.”
The 49ers won’t return to action until December 20 when they travel just outside of Charlotte to take on rival Davidson at 2:30 p.m.