Leemire Goldwire nailed three threes in the final 3:18 to once again rally Charlotte to victory. |
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Goldwire Spurs Remarkable Comeback as Niners Down UMass, 69-65
March 14, 2008
Atlantic City, N.J. - Last night Bobby Lutz talked of March magic. Tonight, this 69-65 victory in Atlantic 10 quarterfinals was like something out of fantasia.
Down 17 at the half, 18 early in the second half, Charlotte rallied to take a three-point lead, 50-47. UMass answered and regained the lead, pushing it back up to nine, 62-53 with 4:51 to play.
Then Leemire Goldwire took over. Again. After Charlie Coley hit a pair of free throws, Goldwire hit a three with 3:22 to play to make it a four-point game, 62-58. After a UMass free throw, Lamont Mack nailed a three to cut the gap to two. Coley converted a breakaway basket to even the score, but UMass went back ahead on a Dante Milligan tip in with 1:33 to play.
Goldwire's three with 1:03 left gave Charlotte a one-point lead, and after Chris Lowe missed the front end of a one-and-one, Goldwire nailed a three from the top of the key and then some as the shot clock wound down, give the 49ers a four-point edge, 69-65, with 18 seconds left. UMass missed a jumper and then a frantic three-point attempt as time expired.
"I've been coaching for a long time and I told the guys that this was as good as it's ever been," said Bobby Lutz. "That win was as good as any win I have ever had. And that little guy down there (Leemire Goldwire), the plays he made late in the game were unbelievable, especially when everyone in the building knew he was going to shoot it."
Goldwire finished with 24 points, his 15th 20-point game of the season and the 30th of his career, matching Curtis Withers for 9th all-time in career 20-point games. Goldwire also moved into the school's all-time top 10 in career points, with 1653 and he surpassed 600 points this season. His 610 points, this season, are 7th-most in school history.
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Junior Lamont Mack added 23 points and nine rebounds and Coley finished with 14 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Goldiwre hit 5-of-12 threes and 9-of-19 shots.
Charlotte stormed back from a halftime deficit to win for the 9th time this season, and the 17-point halftime deficit is easily the biggest halftime deficit they have come back from.
Charlotte shot 50% in the second half, including 9-of-14 (.643) from three-point range. Charlotte had shot just .229 in the first half, 1-of-10 from long range.
Dijuan Harris had six assists and added four steals. The 49ers enjoyed a 52-29.
The win improves Charlotte's record to 20-12 -- the fifth 20-win season for head coach Bobby Lutz.
And the win sends Charlotte into Friday night's semifinal game with Temple (19-12).
