What: GW (4-2) vs. Charlotte (4-3)
Where: 20th Annual BB&T Classic at the Verizon Center
When: Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2:30 p.m.

Former Atlantic 10 conference rivals will square off in their 26th contest when Charlotte joins the Colonials on the court at the Verizon Center on Sunday.

The Colonials have seven contests remaining in the non-conference schedule and start that pivotal stretch of contestable games against the 49ers.

Both teams have scorers, but the difference for the Colonials should be their defense in this game. Charlotte hasn’t had much success stopping offenses, so the Colonials should be able to keep the scoring coming in front of a friendly District crowd.

The case for the 49ers:
Charlotte’s record may be hanging just above .500, but the 49ers have played tough squads. The team has lost three of its last four, but two of those losses came to No. 15 Miami – one by just a single possession with 77-74 as the final score – and the third came against 6-1 A-10 newcomer Davidson.

Forward Mike Thorne Jr. is nearly averaging a double-double with 14.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, and the 6-foot-11 big man could be a handful inside for GW if forward Kevin Larsen’s troubles continue.

Thorne’s success as well as the help of players like point guard Pierria Henry and his 9.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game have helped the 49ers distribute the ball and score over 75 points per game. GW’s greatest strength to date has been its defense, so the 49ers will be helped if they’re still able to score easily.

The case for GW:
The Colonials’ two losses come to undefeated teams as well, but they’ll be looking for a statement win this time around with a crowd that is likely to be friendly despite the number of Georgetown fans. The Hoyas will take on Towson in the early game of the Classic.

Charlotte isn’t deep, so one of the chief knocks on the Colonials – bench strength – should not be a problem in this game. Expect the “core four” to play deep minutes in keeping pace with the 49ers starters.

The other frequently referenced difficulty, free throw shooting, will be up to the Colonials to control. Still, the team should feel like it’s playing with a slight cushion as the 49ers are averaging just over 58 percent shooting on free throws. GW’s physical game often leads to fouls, but points at the charity stripe may be hard to come by for Charlotte.