Charlotte Sharpshooter Dezayne Mingo Breaks Conference Tournament 3-Point Record

March 13, 2026 CStandard

Dezayne Mingo set an American Conference Tournament record with eight 3-pointers and finished with a career-best 35 points to lead No. 5 seed Charlotte (17-15) to an 83-78 win over No. 4 seed UAB (20-12) Friday afternoon at Legacy Arena.

The Niners delivered another dazzling second-half shooting effort to erase a two-point halftime deficit and move on to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time since 2008, when they were a member of the A-10.

One day after setting the American Conference Tournament record for field goal percentage in a half, Charlotte made 14 consecutive field goals over a 10-plus-minute span and shot a blistering 20-of-26 (.769) from the field, including 10-of-14 (.714) from three-point range, after halftime.

Mingo finished the day 11-of-17 from the field, including 8-of-11 from long range, while adding four rebounds and six assists. Ben Bradford had another strong game with 17 points and seven rebounds, with Damoni Harrison coming up big after the break. Harrison scored all 13 of his points in the second half, going 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

UAB stayed connected in the contest despite Charlotte’s hot shooting, attacking the paint with abandon. The Blazers posted a 52-28 advantage in points in the paint but could not overcome a 14-of-29 (.483) effort from three-point range by Charlotte. Daniel Rivera led a trio of double-figure scorers with 20 points to go along with nine rebounds, while Chance Westry set a tournament record with 15 assists.

Charlotte advances to the American Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday, where it will face No. 1 seed South Florida. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET from Legacy Arena on ESPN2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Charlotte jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening 2:29 as Conyers buried a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound before Bradford and Mingo scored on slicing drives in the lane.

UAB used an 11-1 run to grab a 14-11 lead heading into the under-12 media timeout as the 49ers went over five minutes without a made field goal. Jame Elouna Eyenga snapped a 0-of-8 shooting stretch from the field with a tip-in at the 10:51 mark, but the Blazers continued to attack the paint to pull ahead by a five-point margin midway through the opening half.

With the Charlotte offense sputtering, Mingo provided a spark for the 49ers, scoring 10 consecutive points to cut the deficit to two with just over five minutes left in the half. He added a three-pointer off a nice skip pass out of the post from Spencer Elliott to give Charlotte a 28-27 lead at the 4:05 mark.

UAB carried a two-point lead into the break after getting a pair of free throws in the closing seconds. The Blazers scored 24 points in the paint as Charlotte starting center Anton Bonke was limited to just 5:31 of action due to first-half foul trouble. KyeRon Lindsay-Martin delivered 10 of the 18 bench points to lead the UAB offense.

The Niners shot just 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from the field, including 4-of-15 (.267) from three-point range, in the opening 20 minutes. Mingo carried the offensive load with 16 points before the break.

Mingo hit threes on consecutive possessions to give the Niners a 44-43 advantage with just over 14 minutes remaining in the contest. His second of the half and fifth of the game pushed him over the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season. The Hamilton, Ontario, native continued to match the UAB offense, adding a driving layup and erasing a Blazer three-point play with his third three-pointer of the half to send the Niners into the under-12 timeout leading 49-48.

Charlotte pulled ahead 56-51 to force a UAB timeout as Mingo found Bonke for a dunk and Elliott for a corner three before Bradford scored on a strong right-hand drive to extend the Niners’ consecutive made field goal streak to seven.

Bradford drilled a three from the top of the key and converted a free throw after nearly putting a pair of UAB defenders on a poster with a powerful drive down the lane to push the advantage to 62-55 with eight minutes remaining.

Mingo answered a UAB three with a 32-footer late in the shot clock, and Harrison hit his first three of the day to give the Niners a 68-60 lead at the 6:37 mark. The two teams traded baskets down the stretch, with Harrison providing counters for Charlotte.

The 6-4 guard hit a pull-up bank shot from the right elbow and matched a UAB three with another one of his own to give the Niners a 73-65 lead with 5:18 to play. Mingo hit his eighth three-pointer of the day at the 4:38 mark to give Charlotte its largest lead at 76-67 and cap off a string of 14 consecutive made field goals.

UAB used an 8-0 run to pull to within 76-75 with just over two minutes remaining, but the 49ers again answered from beyond the arc. Harrison drilled his third 3-pointer of the half with 1:53 remaining for a four-point cushion.

The Blazers again cut the lead down to one with 1:02 to play before Mingo worked his way around the defense for a driving finish from the right side. Following a defensive stop in the final 15 seconds, Charlotte beat the UAB press over the top with Raul Villar converting a layup with five seconds remaining for the final 83-75 margin.

MINGO MANIA

One day after missing a triple-double by a single rebound, Mingo delivered career highs in scoring (35), three-point field goals (8) and field goals (11). He had stretches scoring 10 consecutive points for the Niners in the opening half and 11 consecutive in the second half.

ELLIOTT EFFECTIVE AS SUPER SUB

Elliott played another outstanding game for the Niners, delivering five points, three rebounds, a career-high six assists, one block and two steals in just under 30 minutes of action.

PASSING THE PILL

Charlotte recorded 21 assists on 30 made field goals, marking the second time this season it has had 20 or more assists in a game. The Niners tied a season high in assists, including 15 helpers after intermission.

SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THE SECOND HALF AT LEGACY ARENA

Charlotte has played two of its best halves of offensive basketball in the second half of its two games at Legacy Arena. Through two games of the tournament, the Niners are averaging 54.0 points on 37-of-48 (.771) shooting from the field, including an 18-of-25 (.720) effort from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT

The Niners advanced to the American Conference Tournament semifinals for the first time and reached a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since the 2008 A-10 Tournament.

Charlotte will meet No. 1 seed South Florida less than a week after the two met in the regular-season finale. The Bulls captured an 83-60 win, reversing last year’s game that saw the 49ers come out on top at Halton Arena and moving their record to 5-1 in their last six meetings.

Mingo finished the day 11-of-17 from the field, including 8-of-11 from long range, while adding four rebounds and six assists. Ben Bradford had another strong game with 17 points and seven rebounds, with Damoni Harrison coming up big after the break. Harrison scored all 13 of his points in the second half, going 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

Charlotte advances to the American Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday, where it will face No. 1 seed South Florida. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET from Legacy Arena on ESPN2.

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