Charlotte had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They secured a 64-60 W over the Wharton Wildcats on Thursday. For the Fightin' Tarpons, this counts as revenge for the 52-35 victory the Wildcats walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2023.
Charlotte's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dior Evans led the charge by going 8-for-12 to rack up 17 points. What's more, Evans also posted a 67% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's achieved since back in January of 2024. Khrye Ellis was another key player, going 5-for-10 on his way to 12 points and seven rebounds.
Wharton lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Tysen Jefferson, who went 8-for-13 en route to 22 points. Another player making a difference was Jayson Montgomery, who went 5-for-7 to rack up 16 points.
Charlotte has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.8 points over those games. Wharton's loss dropped their record down to 23-7.
After both having extra time off, Charlotte and St. Thomas Aquinas will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 11:00 a.m. on March 6th. St. Thomas Aquinas will roll in looking for their 13th straight win, something Charlotte surely won't give up without a fight. Wharton does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
