Grace Hunter against Old Dominion earlier in the season. Photo by Benjamin Robson
The Charlotte 49ers suffered their second consecutive loss, falling to the UAB Blazers, 75-57 in four quarters of action. Freshman Grace Hunter secured her third double-double in the past four games while Kira Gordon led Charlotte in scoring, tallying 16 points.
The Blazers shot themselves out to a five point lead to begin the first quarter behind field goals from Deanna Kuzmanic and Brittany Winborne. Hunter and Lefty Webster then sunk their first field goals cutting the deficit to just two points. Charlotte struggled to keep up with UAB’s offensive productivity but kept themselves within striking distance. Following head coach Cara Consuegra’s late timeout at the 1:26 mark, Webster scored four unanswered points, including a buzzer-beating layup.
The 49ers trailed the Blazers by just four points to begin the second period, 19-15. To Charlotte’s dismay, UAB extended their lead into double-digits. Winborne scored a contested layup at the 7:29 mark which was followed by an Alexis Alexander layup. Charlotte created a turnover on the ensuing possession with a chance to bring the game within one possession. However Kuzmanic hauled in a missed 3-pointer and extended the lead to nine points at the other end, 29-20. The Blazers kept the 49ers relatively quiet for the remaining six minutes as they increased the deficit to 12 points, 40-28.
Charlotte scored just 10 seconds into the third quarter however their shooting struggles continued. UAB enjoyed two 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions widening the gap to 48-32. After two successful free throws from senior Kayla Anderson, Webster scored for the 49ers minimizing the lead the 15 points. Webster’s 3-pointer with exactly seven minutes remaining in the quarter were the final points for the 49ers until Gordon’s two free throws at the buzzer. The Blazers took advantage of Charlotte’s offensive impotency jumping out to a 21 point lead to end the third quarter, 58-37.
The 49ers outscored the Blazers in the fourth quarter, but the significant deficit they faced proved to be too much. Again, Alexander opened the period with a layup after a low-post feed from Gordon. The 49ers enjoyed a seven point, unanswered run spanning three minutes which minimized the gap to 14 points, 60-46. Both teams traded buckets for the next five minutes before Hunter scored her team’s final points from the foul line.
The 49ers will return to the Queen City for a few days before embarking on another two game road trip, beginning with Marshall, Jan. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.