No. 7 Vols drop second straight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In one week, No. 7 Tennessee followed one of the most impressive wins of the college basketball season with two clunkers full of missed shots and late-game breakdowns.

The woes allowed struggling Charlotte to give first-year coach Alan Major his first signature victory.

Three days after top scorer Shamari Spears was kicked off the team, Charlotte dressed eight scholarship players and closed with a 7-0 run to gain a stunning 49-48 victory over the sputtering Volunteers on Friday.

Derrio Green fed Phil Jones for the go-ahead layup with 7.4 seconds remaining, lifting the 49ers to 5-6.

"It takes a big-time effort to beat teams like that," said Major, a former Ohio State assistant. "I could not be prouder of this group of guys."

As for the dominant-looking Tennessee team that rolled past then-No. 3 Pittsburgh on the road last weekend? It has disappeared along with its offense in losses this week to Oakland (Mich.) and Charlotte, which matched the fewest points in a victory in school history.

Cameron Tatum hit only glass on a desperation heave at the buzzer for the Volunteers (7-2), who shot 35 percent from the field.

"I thought we didn't play well, but it wasn't about the fact that we weren't excited about playing, ready to play," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "We knew we were in a tough environment, that's why you take these games on. I didn't like what I saw out there with our offensive execution and our poise."

Jamar Briscoe scored 14 points and Green had 13 for the 49ers, who overcame 30 percent shooting by using a zone defense that stymied the Vols into 2-of-17 shooting from 3-point range.

Tennessee also made only 2 of 7 free throws, including Melvin Goins' miss on the front end of a one-and-one to set up Charlotte's winning basket.

Scotty Hopson scored 13 points for Tennessee on 6-of-19 shooting in his second straight poor game after scoring 27 points against Pittsburgh. Tobias Harris added 12 points and 10 rebounds