Sunday, November 16th, 6:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Dale F. Halton Arena (9,105) -- Charlotte, North Carolina. Television: None. Home Record: ODU 0-0, Charlotte 1-0. Away Record: ODU 0-0, Charlotte 0-0. Neutral Record: ODU 0-0, Charlotte 0-0. Conference Record: ODU 0-0, Charlotte 0-0. Series Record: Old Dominion leads, 13-12.

GAME NOTES: The Old Dominion Monarchs tip off their 2008-09 campaign this evening as they visit the Charlotte 49ers for a non-conference outing at Halton Arena in North Carolina. Last season, the Monarchs finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association with an 11-7 record and were two games over .500 overall at 18-16. the squad made it to the postseason and defeated Rider in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational by just three points (68-65) and then bowed to Virginia in the following round (80-76). As for the 49ers, they've already got a game under their belts for this season having defeated in-state rival UNC Greensboro by a score of 77-59 on Friday. After this game, Charlotte hits the road for the first time, taking on Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina on Wednesday night. As far as the all-time series is concerned, Old Dominion is one up on the 49ers with a record of 13-12. The most recent meeting between the squads took place in 2003-04 as Charlotte needed two overtime sessions to capture a 105-102 triumph at home. Between 1982-91, both programs were associated with the Sun Belt Conference.

ODU, which has been to the postseason in each of the last four years, is under the direction of head coach Blaine Taylor who is entering his eighth season at the helm. The team is made up of eight returning players from a year ago and five freshman, three of which hail from the state of Virginia. The top returning starter for the group is sophomore center Gerald Lee who, despite standing just 6-9, accounted for 13.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game a season ago. Senior forward Jonathan Adams posted six points and 4.1 rebounds a season ago and is being counted on for his experience to help the younger players grow into the program. Ben Finney and Darius James should also be prime contributors to the offense this time around after they generated 7.1 and 7.0 ppg, respectively.

Despite an 18-point win over UNC Greensboro in the opener on Friday night, Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz thinks his team is even better than the effort that they showed. Lamont Mack certainly put his best foot forward for the 49ers as he recorded his first career double-double with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, while another three of his teammates hit for double-digits in the scoring department as well. An'Juan Wilderness struck for 15 points, RaShad Coleman 14 and reserve Phil Jones 11 points and six rebounds in a mere 13 minutes of action for a team that held the visitors to just 38.5 percent shooting from the field and forced 23 turnovers. Last season Mack was second on the team, behind Leemire Goldwire, in scoring with his 12.8 ppg and was also an influence in the paint with 5.1 rpg. This year the key will be for Mack to tone down his physical play so that he spends less time on the bench. Wilderness posted 8.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 2007-08 but could have done even better in the scoring department if not for his 58.3 percent effort at the free-throw line.

Having already gotten the first game of the season out of the way, not to mention playing at home today, the 49ers have themselves set up for their second win.

Predicted Outcome

Charlotte 73, Old Dominion 62