Durham, NC (My Sportsbook) - The second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off pits the Charlotte 49ers against the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, one of the host teams of this event.
Bobby Lutz is in his 12th season as head coach at Charlotte, and his 201-146 record makes him the winningest coach in program history. After beating UNC Asheville by an 86-70 final to open the season, the 49ers improved to 2-0 yesterday with a 75-61 decision over Elon in the first round of this event.
As for Duke, which is led by legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, it crushed Coastal Carolina last night by a 74-49 final to move to 2-0 on the young season. Duke's season began with a 96-62 romp over UNC-Greensboro on Friday, and considering the fact that the ACC schedule will yield plenty of challenges, the Blue Devils need to rack up as many non-conference victories as possible.
It comes as no surprise that Duke has won both previous meetings with Charlotte.
Shamari Spears is a rugged power forward who transferred from Boston College to Charlotte, and after serving a suspension in the opener for the 49ers, he made his debut with the squad last night against Elon. Spears was dominant on the interior, as he finished with 23 points in 23 minutes of action. Rashad Coleman added 11 points, and DiJuan Harris pitched in 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks from his guard position. Charlotte only turned the ball over six times in the clash, a state that any team would be proud of. The 49ers played tremendous defense as well, holding Elon to 31.1 percent shooting from the field. Those positives helped the club overcome a 51-44 rebounding disadvantage, including a 19-12 deficit on the offensive boards.In the season-opening win over UNC Asheville, which marked the 200th victory for head coach Bobby Lutz, Shamarr Bowden's 21 points led five double- digit scorers for Charlotte.
Strong defense was key to Duke's victory over Coastal Carolina, as the Blue Devils limited the Chanticleers to 28.6 percent shooting from the floor and forced them into 14 turnovers. Duke also earned a 20-11 edge in points from the foul line and earned a narrow rebounding advantage. Nolan Smith served the second of his two-game suspension, and his teammates picked up the slack in his absence. Kyle Singler was outstanding as usual, as he scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Andre Dawkins tallied 13 points, while Miles Plumlee and Jon Scheyer posted 10 points apiece. Singler scored 20 points in the season-opening victory over UNC-Greensboro, and he figures to challenge for ACC Player of the Year honors this season. Scheyer added 18 points in that contest.
