Observations from victory against N.C. A&T

Observations from the 49ers' 88-72 victory Saturday over N.C. A&T:

-- It wasn't until the 49ers dialed up the defensive pressure in the second half that the Aggies wilted. Charlotte outscored A&T 48-32 in the second half and ended the game with 30 fast-break points off of 29 defensive rebounds and 11 Aggie turnovers.

"We got stops, a little bit of pressure," said point guard Pierria Henry of the defensive effort that seemed to be lacking in the first half. "We had great communication and (on turnovers) we were getting the ball ahead and finding the open man. When we're engaged, focused and dialed in at the same time, it's hard to beat us."

-- The 49ers, while looking for consistency as they hit Conference USA play next week, have found one area where they've been dangerous: 3-point shooting. The 49ers were 10 of 19 against the Aggies, which follows games against USC Upstate and Georgia Tech in which individual players (Ben Cherry and Denzel Ingram) were hot. They're now shooting 37.1 percent for the season from long-range, with Ingram and Terrence Williams above 40 percent and Cherry at 51.1.

-- Center Mike Thorne had one of his better games in recent weeks with 12 points and 7 rebounds. But it wasn't until the 49ers decided to focus on Willie Clayton down low that they were able to take control of the game. Clayton, who had 3 points and 3 rebounds at halftime, ended with 13 points and 8 boards.

-- Henry's line: season-high 23 points (3 of 5 from 3, made all 6 free throws), 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover. Nothing to add to that.