FAU MB preview

Charlotte junior guard Jackson Threadgill (12) during a basketball game against Florida International University on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

 Photo by Jacob Scannell

Charlotte men's basketball continues its homestand in Halton Arena on Saturday, Feb. 4, against No. 19 Florida Atlantic University (FAU). 

Charlotte is coming off back-to-back losses, including a narrow 57-54 defeat on Thursday, Feb. 3, against Florida International University. The 49ers sit at 13-9 and 4-7 in Conference USA (C-USA) play, placing them No. 8 in the conference standings. 

Charlotte is looking for their first win against a ranked opponent in Halton Arena since defeating No. 15 Temple, 74-64 in the 2009-10 season.

Matchup history

This game will be the 14th all-time meeting between the two programs. FAU leads the series 7-6. 

The Owls won the last three games against the 49ers, including their previous matchup back in January, where FAU won 71-67. 

The 49ers trailed by 20 in the second half, and despite closing the wide gap, were unable to come out on top. 

Scouting Charlotte

In the first matchup between these teams, Charlotte shot the ball well, especially from the three-point range, ending the game 11-22. 

Guard Lu'Cye Patterson contributed 13 points on 5-8 shooting, including three assists. 

Patterson has been on a tear recently, scoring 15 points in Thursday's game. The redshirt sophomore is a player to watch on Saturday as he looks to score in double-digits for the third game straight.

Brice Williams has been the go-to player for the 49ers all season long. He currently leads the team in scoring 12.7 points per game and led Charlotte with 16 points against the Owls in the first matchup. 

Williams is coming off a 27-point performance against Florida International and will need to keep it going if the 49ers want to pull the upset. 

Scouting FAU

FAU is coming off its first loss in C-USA play with an 86-77 defeat at the hands of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers. 

The 21-2 Owls have a deep roster featuring five players that average nine or more points. 

The guard duo of Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin leads the Owls. Both players average more than 12 points per game and have the Owls sitting atop the C-USA standings at 11-1. 

In the previous matchup against the 49ers, Davis and Martin combined for 27 points and will look to replicate that performance in Halton Arena.

Game prediction

Charlotte must get off to a faster start this time around against FAU. The last 20-point hole was too deep to overcome on the road. The team cannot afford to let that happen again. 

Patterson and Williams must keep pace with the Owls' electric duo. 

If they do, the 49ers will pull off the upset 65-63, securing the school's first win against a ranked opponent inside the Goldmine since 2010.   

Looking to gameday

The 49ers look to avenge their loss to the Owls and pull off the upset against the top team in the C-USA. Tip-off is set for Saturday, Feb. 4, at 4 p.m. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.