Anthony Vanhook takes a jumper. Photo by Chris Crews
On Wednesday evening, the Charlotte 49ers (5-2) defended home court against the visiting James Madison Dukes (0-7) by a score of 65-56. It was a grind it out type of game where the three-pointers were few and the fouls were plenty. Several things remained true throughout the course of this game.
A Tale of Two Halves
The win versus James Madison marks the fifth time this season that the 49ers have scored more points in the second period than the first. The team is 4-1 in those contests. The 49ers were able to showcase their defense in the second half, holding the Dukes to just 21 points in the final 20 minutes.
Early foul trouble could’ve been the culprit in the first half of this game. Coach Price says that the team “played down to [JMU’s] pace in the first half.” If the 49ers can find a way to put it together for entire contests at a time, the sky is the limit.
Anthony Vanhook is a Spark Plug
Senior Forward Anthony Vanhook may not always have statistics that jump off the page, but his impact on the game is undeniable. Fans liken his impact on the team to that of Draymond Green, with good cause.
Braxton Ogbueze attempting a three-pointer from the corner. Photo by Chris Crews.
He brings energy and passion to the game that may not otherwise be present. When asked about the comparisons, he says that he embraces them, and uses them as motivation. In the second half of the back and forth match up on Wednesday, Vanhook got the ball near the top of the key, pump-faked his defender and blew by him, dunking over an unsuspecting JMU defender. Those were probably the most effective of his two . This play ignited the crowd and gave the 49ers a 44-41 lead from which the visiting team could not recover.points
No Three’s, No Problem
Charlotte was shooting 44% from the three-point line on the season coming in to the matchup, which led the entire Conference USA. Wednesday, however, they struggled to find their range as they went 6-23 from downtown.
Guards Braxton Ogbueze and Andrien White couldn’t it going from long range this time around, but were able to contribute to the game in other ways. White finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Ogbueze contributed 7 points himself.
Although this 3 point shooting performance is most likely an outlier, It’s a positive sign that Charlotte was able to win in spite of it. These are the type of victories that a good team must show that the ability to capture.
Charlotte will look to keep their momentum going, and they’ll have a good chance to do so, at home next against Oregon State.