49ers set for 'Georgia Invitational'

49ers coach Alan Major has dubbed these next two games as the "Georgia Invitational." Charlotte plays Thursday at Mercer in Macon, Ga., and then Sunday at Georgia Tech.

Major came up with the name while flying home to Indianapolis for a few days at Christmas. "I guess that's what you do when you've got a little time on your hands," said Major.

Actually, Major wants his team to be in the mindset that it's in a mini-tournament (double elimination, apparently), with travel and hostile crowds involved, too.

Mercer is just 3-8, but had Georgia on the ropes recently, blowing an 11-point second half lead and losing 56-53.

This might not be a tournament, but it is a round robin. Mercer plays at Georgia Tech on Friday.

Remember, the Mercer-Charlotte game is at 2 p.m. I'll be on Twitter with updates throughout at @davidscott14.

Notes

-- 49ers freshman guard Luka Voncina won’t be with the team Thursday or for Sunday’s game at Georgia Tech. He’s spending the holiday break at home in Slovenia, where – folks in the 49ers athletics department hope – he will bring back some answers about why his high school transcript isn’t being accepted by the NCAA. Until that happens, Voncina will continue to be ineligible.


-- The 49ers are making 73.4 percent of their free throws, tops in the Atlantic 10. They’re also third in the league in 3-point defense (28.5 percent), fourth in 3s made per game (7.2) and fifth in defensive rebounding (26.1).

-- Charlotte has held five its last six opponents to 65 or fewer points.