Charlotte Aims for Historic AAC Victory Against Tulane This Saturday

CHARLOTTE – Following their near upset of American Athletic Conference frontrunner South Florida that fell short in overtime, Charlotte Women’s Basketball is back at Halton Arena on Saturday as they compete against the Tulane Green Wave in league action.

COACH’S CORNER

“Our players came out and adhered to the game strategy,” stated coach Tomekia Reed. “We pressured them defensively by restricting their leading two scorers. Our entire coaching staff takes pride in the team. The conviction was evident against South Florida. I witnessed our team evolve. They have faith in us and in one another. Minor errors in the final moments ultimately determined the outcome. We will continue to battle and pose a formidable challenge for all moving forward.

SCOUTING TULANE

Tulane has evenly split their initial two AAC matches, maintaining an overall record of 8-5 this season. Tulane triumphed over Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton (91-71) but lost to Rice at home (72-64). Rice overcame a late shortfall with a 33-point barrage in the fourth quarter to claim victory. Malia Fisher (21) and Dominique Ennis (18) together accounted for 39 of Rice’s points and sparked a comeback where Rice made 10 of their 14 field goal attempts (71.4 percent) in the closing period. Fisher also spearheaded a balanced effort on the boards with eight rebounds as Rice held a significant advantage (46-31).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Amira Mabry has been outstanding for the Green Wave in her last three games, shooting 66.7 percent from the field (30-for-45) with an average of 22.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. She has recorded three consecutive games with over 20 points and successfully converted four of her eight 3-point attempts. Kendall Sneed contributed 17 points in the defeat against Rice before fouling out, while Kyren Whittington added 14 points to reach her 1,000^th career point.

Kendall Sneed is presently sixth among NCAA freshmen in assists per game, averaging 4.2. Meanwhile, Victoria Keenan is 15th in NCAA three-point shooting percentage (45.6) and 24th for three-pointers made per game with 2.8.

LAST TIME OUT

Charlotte opened strong, displaying great energy early in the first quarter with a new starting lineup featuring Caroline Thiel and Jordan Peete, in addition to the regular players Hayleigh Breland, Keanna Rembert, and Imani Smith.

Rembert ignited the offense by scoring the first six points of the night. Effective shooting from behind the arc contributed to the Niners’ success in the first half. Both Caroline Thiel, Imani Smith, Kay Kay Green, and Aleix Andrews each made one three-pointer. Charlotte led 15-8 after the first quarter. Overall, CLT shot 48% (13-27) from the floor during the first half. Seven different Niners recorded points in the half, and a total of 10 for the entire game.

“Our offense appeared solid for the majority,” remarked Reed. “We relied on everyone at various moments. Stellar defense often transitioned into great offense. We successfully utilized ball screens on their post players and capitalized on that advantage.”

PROTECT THE PAINT

In just the first half, Charlotte tallied five blocks, with Keanna Rembert leading with two. Thiel, Jayla Kelly, and Tena Ikidi each contributed one.

South Florida struggled offensively, shooting 3-for-19 in the first quarter and 11-34 in the entire first half (32.4%). Charlotte concluded the game with eight blocked shots, spearheaded by Ikidi’s three.

LATE RUN

With Charlotte leading 29-21 late in the second quarter, USF responded with an 11-0 scoring streak to seize the lead, boosted by eight points from Sammie Puisis during the quarter. At halftime, USF had a narrow edge at 32-31 as Kay Kay Green made a layup in the closing moments.

FIGHT BACK

USF carried that momentum into the third quarter, holding a 50-42 lead with three minutes left. A mid-range jumper from Andrews, a three from Nia Young, a layup from Thiel, and a mid-range jumper from Breland combined to give Charlotte the lead, completing a 9-0 scoring surge to go up 51-50.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Jordan Peete attacked the rim on consecutive possessions, sinking a pair of layups to extend the CLT lead to 61-55. Mama Dembele countered with two free throws and a fastbreak layup off a steal for the Golden Bulls.

With Charlotte ahead 63-61 and only 15 seconds remaining, Puisis came through in a clutch moment with a mid-range jumper, set up by Dembele, tying the contest at 63, which led to overtime.

OVERTIME

Neither squad could find a consistent offensive flow in the extra period. South Florida managed to establish a five-point advantage with 90 seconds remaining. Andrews kept Charlotte in contention with her second three-pointer of the evening and followed that by scoring a layup to level the score at 68.

Once more, Puisis engineered a scoring chance. She drew contact on a jumper being defended by Madison Roshelle and received the foul call. Puisis converted the first free throw for a one-point advantage but missed the second. Following a timeout from Coach Reed, a last-second shot by Andrews ricocheted off the rim, allowing USF to narrowly escape with a victory at 69-68.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Rembert (15) and Andrews (12) both scored in double digits for the Niners. Caroline Thiel made her inaugural career start, logging a career-high 33 minutes on the court. Free throw shooting almost cost the Golden Bulls as they made 15 out of 29 attempts (51.7%).

“Caroline performed well in an expanded role,” asserted Reed. “I was proud of her for remaining prepared, having confidence in herself, and making valuable contributions. We will count on her as the season progresses.”

NEXT UP

Charlotte is set to return home to Halton Arena on Saturday (Jan. 4) to take on the Tulane Green Wave. The opening tip is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.