Dezayne Mingo scores 35 as Charlotte defeats UAB 83-78 in American Conference quarterfinal game

Charlotte advances behind a second-half surge

Charlotte moved a step closer to the American Conference men’s basketball championship with an 83-78 win over UAB on Friday, March 13, in the tournament quarterfinals at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Senior guard Dezayne Mingo led all scorers with 35 points as the 49ers overcame a halftime deficit and outscored UAB 52-45 after the break.

The result flipped the recent script between the teams. Nine days earlier, UAB won 80-74 at Halton Arena in Charlotte, a game that shaped late-season positioning in the conference standings. In the rematch on the neutral-floor tournament stage, Charlotte generated the more productive finish, turning a two-point halftime hole into a five-point win.

Game flow: UAB led at halftime, Charlotte controlled the closing stretch

UAB carried a 33-31 advantage into intermission, but Charlotte’s offense accelerated in the second half. Mingo’s 35-point performance drove that shift, supplying a large share of Charlotte’s scoring and forcing UAB to defend deep into the shot clock on multiple possessions.

Charlotte’s final possessions were managed effectively enough to preserve the margin late, including a closing sequence that produced a basket in the final seconds to keep UAB from extending the game with additional possessions.

Why the win matters for Charlotte and UAB

For Charlotte, the victory extended its postseason run and kept alive the program’s pursuit of its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2005. The 49ers entered the week positioned in the upper half of the conference bracket, and the win over UAB validated that placement against a top-four seed.

For UAB, the loss ended its conference tournament bid at the quarterfinal stage in the first year the event was hosted in Birmingham. The Blazers had secured a top-four seed and a quarterfinal bye, but could not hold the lead they built in the first half.

Context: Mingo’s season and recognition

Mingo’s outburst came days after he was named to the conference’s third team. During conference play, he provided Charlotte with a consistent scoring and playmaking option, including stretches in which he took on a larger creation role for an offense that leaned heavily on guard production.

• Final score: Charlotte 83, UAB 78

• Halftime: UAB 33, Charlotte 31

• Charlotte second half: 52 points

• Leading scorer: Dezayne Mingo (35)

Charlotte’s 52-point second half turned a two-point halftime deficit into a quarterfinal win.

Charlotte advanced to the semifinal round, where it will face the next remaining opponent on the tournament bracket.