Leslie Cook hit five three-pointers versus UAB to help Charlotte clinch a bye in the Conference USA Tournament. |
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Charlotte Runs Past UAB, 77-56
Feb. 23, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Charlotte 49ers women's basketball team defeated UAB, 77-56, Sunday, giving the team its first ever bye in the Conference USA Tournament. The 49ers will enter next weekend, the final weekend of the regular-season, tied with Cincinnati for first place in the league.
Leslie Cook, a freshman, came off the bench to lead Charlotte (18-7, 10-2 C-USA) with a career-high 17 points. She knocked down six of her eight attempts from the field, including five three-pointers. Peaches Harris, a junior, finished the day with 11 points, hitting three three-pointers. She and Cook each have 48 treys this season, one shy of tying the school's single-season record. Harris now has 102 threes in her career, three away from matching the school's career record. Alicia Abernathy also finished in double figures with 13, and dished out five assists.
UAB (8-17, 4-8 C-USA) was led in scoring by Natasha Thomas, who scored a game-high 19 points. Michelle Smith was next on the team with 11. She also pulled down 10 rebounds to record the double-double. Chantell Thomas contributed 10.
The 49ers took advantage of three big runs in the game, two in the first half and one in the second. With 12:39 left in the first half, a Jen Williams layup started a 12-0 Charlotte run that lasted for three minutes and 55 seconds and made the score, 18-9. Later in the first, the Niners put together another 12-0 run and increased their lead to 32-13. With the game in control in the second half, the 49ers held the Blazers scoreless for just under five minutes and further increased their lead to 62-27.
Charlotte hit 50 percent of its shots (30-of-60), while holding UAB to just 31.5 percent (17-of-54) from the field. The Niners knocked down 10 three-pointers for the fourth time this season and shot 43.5 percent from behind the arc. The Blazers struggled from beyond the arc, hitting 3-of-20 three-point shots.
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The 49ers close the regular-season next weekend, when they host Southern Miss and Tulane. Sunday's game will be the final game in Halton Arena for senior Alicia Abernathy. It will be televised by C-USA TV and shown locally on Time Warner Cable's channel 22.
