Charlotte @ East Carolina preview

Charlotte at East Carolina

Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2016 ) East Carolina 64, Charlotte 76

Two teams that already have made coaching changes this season square off Monday, when East Carolina hosts Charlotte. The 49ers are playing their first game since coach Mark Price was fired following a four-game losing streak.

Price was let go on Thursday, four days after a 64-50 loss at Chattanooga, and assistant Houston Fancher – who has 12 years of head-coaching experience – was named the interim coach. “I’m not going to come down and sprinkle any magic dust and fix things right away, but we’ve got to play with more energy and get off to better starts,” Fancher told the Charlotte Observer. “We’ve got to have better confidence and play through adversity better. I know that sounds like coach-speak, but we’ve got to get better with those things.” The Pirates have responded well to their own coaching change, winning their first three games since Michael Perry took over after Jeff Lebo’s resignation. East Carolina is playing for the first time since recording a 69-66 home win over Campbell on Dec. 4.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3

ABOUT CHARLOTTE (3-6): The 49ers have struggled on the boards and on defense, both of which were cited as reasons for the coaching change. Opponents shoot 47.1 percent and average 77.4 points – ranking Charlotte in the bottom-fourth of NCAA Division I teams in both categories. The 49ers’ biggest strength is their 3-point shooting – they rank 33rd nationally at 40.4 percent – but star guard Jon Davis (13.2 points, 5.5 assists) has seen his offensive production fall off significantly after averaging 19.6 points last season.

ABOUT EAST CAROLINA (5-4): The Pirates have played well at the defensive end - and especially on the perimeter, holding opponents to 29.4 percent from 3-point range. Their guards do much of their scoring as well, with B.J. Tyson (15.8 points) and Isaac Fleming (14.3, 4.4 assists) leading the way. Swingman Kentrell Barkley (13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds) has put up solid numbers, and freshman guard Shawn Williams is averaging 10.7 points during the three-game winning streak.

TIP-INS

1. The in-state rivals are squaring off for the fourth consecutive season, with the Pirates having won two of the last three meetings.

2. Charlotte is 3-0 when forcing more turnovers than it commits and 0-6 when having the same number or more turnovers than its opponents.

3. The Pirates are 53-for-83 from the foul line during their three-game winning streak, while their opponents are 25-for-38 over the same span.

PREDICTION: East Carolina 75, Charlotte 71