BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Jon Davis scored 27 points and seventh-seeded Charlotte beat No. 10 seed Rice 79-69 in a Conference USA second-round matchup on Wednesday night.
The 49ers (14-18) will face second-seeded Middle Tennessee (21-9) in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Charlotte led for much of the game, but an 8-0 run -- capped by Marcus Evans' layup with 7:54 to go -- put Rice up 58-57. After some back and forth, the 49ers retook the lead for good 2 1/2 minutes later on a pair of Curran Scott free throws, followed by a Davis 3-pointer assisted by Scott.