Notes off 49ers' win at Mississippi State

There were many things Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz liked in the 49ers' 70-64 win against Mississippi State. He was somewhat disappointed with Charlotte's play in the final five minutes, when the 49ers mustered four points on offense - all from the free-throw line.

"That was a team that for 35 minutes tonight we thought we could be," Lutz said. "We've struggled through a lot of close games. I'm not happy with the way we finished but it was nice to have a working margin and have enough lead to win the basketball game."

Lutz said down the stretch the 49ers fouled too much. "We gambled a little more and weren't quite as solid and paid for it," he said. "They attacked a little more aggressively. The fouls I wasn't thrilled with."

- Former Concord High star and 2007 Observer Male Athlete of the Year Dee Bost had a tough time against the 49ers. He scored a team-high 15 points for Mississippi State but made just 3 of 10 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds when the outcome was determined. He had one assist and two turnovers.

- Charlotte point guard DiJuan Harris played all but four minutes of the game. He finished with 11 points, three rebounds, five assists and no turnovers.

"We actually have been doing the same thing that we have been doing all season," Harris said. "It's just the last two or three games coach has really emphasized on making things more simple on defense and making it more of a team effort, and we came out with a victory."

- Charlotte (3-6) will take a break for exams and next plays Youngstown State at Halton Arena at 2 p.m. Dec. 21. The 49ers' last home game was a one-point loss to Clemson on Nov. 22.