web Charlotte

Jan. 20, 2002

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers women's basketball team held East Carolina to just 12 points in the second half on the way to a 54-39 win at Halton Arena Sunday afternoon. A Halton Arena-record crowd of 2,415 came out for the game, which became the first Conference USA win for first-year head coach Katie Meier.

Junior Alicia Abernathy (Hickory, N.C.) posted her fourth double-double of the season to lead Charlotte (9-8, 1-3 C-USA) with 14 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs. She was joined in double figures by freshman Monica League (Nashville, Tenn.) with 11 points and senior Adrienne Jordan (Durham, N.C.), who added 10 on 4-for-4 shooting from the field.

"Alicia played great tonight," Meier said. "She posted a double-double against a team that knows as well as anyone the type of player she is. She's a fantastic rebounder and showed a lot of guts tonight.

"I thought Monica had an outstanding defensive performance on their point guard, Ayana McWilliams. She went out and forced her into seven turnovers and held her to no assists. It was the type of tough, gutsy defensive effort we like to see."

McWilliams scored 10 to lead East Carolina (3-13, 1-3 C-USA), who played the game without their head coach, Dee Stokes. Stokes did not make the trip from Greenville for undisclosed reasons. Assistant coach Gene Hill coached the team in her absence.

The 49ers got off to a slow start, falling behind by double figures in the first half. Kris May Richardson gave the Pirates a 12-point lead, 20-8 on a basket with 8:18 to play. Charlotte regrouped, however, storming back with a 17-4 run to retake the lead, 25-24, on a Tonika Smith jumper with 1:52 to play. Kim Robich's three-pointer with 1:00 to play put East Carolina in front, 27-25.

The second half belonged to the Niners, who took the lead for good on an Abernathy bucket at the 16:08 mark. That began an 11-2 run that was capped on another Abernathy field goal to put Charlotte in front, 42-32. The 49ers increased their lead to 17 before finishing with a 15-point advantage.

The Niners held the Pirates to 12 points in the second half, the fewest allowed to an opponent in any half this season. The previous low was 16 to UNC Asheville Jan. 8 (first half). The attendance of 2,415 blew away the previous record for a women's game in Halton Arena, 1,514, set earlier this season against then No. 14 Duke.

Charlotte remains in town for their next two games. The 49ers host TCU next Friday, Jan. 25 at 7:00. On Sunday, Jan. 27, they take on Houston at 2:00. All women's basketball games are played at Halton Arena.