Threadgill’s OT buzzer beating bomb lifts Charlotte past Davidson 68-66

Press release provided by Charlotte 49ers Athletics

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Down, 66-65, in the final 10 seconds, junior Jackson Threadgill called game and drained a buzzer beating 3-pointer from the left wing to lift the Charlotte men’s basketball team past Davidson, 68-66 in overtime, on Tuesday night at Belk Arena.

Threadgill’s bomb gave the Niners (6-2) the Hornets’ Nest Trophy for a third time in the last four seasons, while the loss is Davidson’s (6-2) first at home in 2022-23.

The Concord, North Carolina native and Davidson Day School alum, went just 2-of-8 on the evening, scoring five points, with his second and final make being the difference maker on the night.

Outside of the winner, the Niners were led by a dominant effort in the post from sophomore phenom Aly Khalifa who tallied a second consecutive double-double, tallying 19 points and 16 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field and hitting a pair of shots from 3-point land.

The Alexandria, Egypt native was also huge on the offensive glass, reeling in a career-high four to keep multiple Niner possessions going late in the second half.

Classmate Igor Milicic Jr. was also stellar, pouring in a career-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while draining a career-high four 3-pointers. Milicic was also a beast on the glass, ripping down seven rebounds, including one on the final possession to keep the ball in the Niners hands.

Sophomore Lu’Cye Patterson, despite missing a pair of free throws with less than a minute to play, the Minneapolis, Minnesota native scored nine points—with five coming in the second half—and dished out a career-high seven assists with just two turnovers.

Off the bench, sophomore Isaiah Folkes was huge for the Niners, guarding Davidson’s Foster Loyer for just about the entirety of his 13 minutes on the floor. The Gainesville, Virginia native finished the night with seven points, including a pair of momentum shifting dunks.

His first came on a three-quarter court alley-oop from Patterson to knot the score at 56, with his second coming late in the second half to help force OT.

Charlotte’s defense was also stellar on Tuesday, holding the Wildcats to over 13 points below their season average in a game that consisted of five extra minutes of game time. That mark also included holding Davidson to just seven points across the final 10:49 of regulation to help force the extra period.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The teams opened the evening going 3-pointer for 3-pointer, with the first five field goals between the sides coming from 3-point land.

With the score tied at 6-6, CLT used a 9-0 run to break open an early, nine-point lead at the contests’ first media timeout.

Across the remaining, 15 minutes of the frame, Davidson clawed its way back to even before the programs went bucket-for-bucket in a game that saw CLT hold a slim, 32-30 advantage heading into the locker room.

Out of the break Davidson threw multiple haymakers to eventually take a, 52-41, lead with 10:49 to play in regulation.

Over the final 10 minutes, Charlotte slowly chipped away at the Wildcat advantage and held DC to a 2-of-12 mark from the field, while ending the initial 40 minutes on a 18-7 run.

In overtime, the teams traded the lead eight times, including the night’s final shot. On the final possession, Patterson was fouled on a driving layup at the cup. After missing both free throws, Milicic grabbed the offensive board and found Threadgill who missed the initial shot.

On the ensuing rebound Patterson outfought the Wildcats for it on the floor and shuffled it to the perimeter to Threadgill who called game from the left wing to send the Charlotte bench into exuberance and home with the world’s most aesthetically pleasing trophy for the third time in four seasons.

PRINCE ALY

The Niners big man in the middle was the defining force for CLT on offense all night long. Sophomore Aly Khalifa ended with a season-high 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to record his third career double-double and second in as many games.

The Alexandria, Egypt native was also a stellar +15 on the evening to lead all players by a wide margin.

SOPHOMORES SHOW OUT IN I-77 CLASH

53 of Charlotte’s 68 points on Tuesday were scored by sophomores. Aly Khalifa (19), Igor Milicic Jr. (18), Lu’Cye Patterson (9) and Isaiah Folkes (7) accounted for 78 percent of CLT’s scoring offense on Tuesday night at Belk Arena.

UP NEXT

Charlotte will once again make a quick turnaround when it hosts in-state foe, App State on Friday night in the Queen City.